Persona 5: The Warrior of Vesperia
by Free Flow Highway
Summary: In Shibuya, where crime and discord are at a high, the Phantom Thieves take the town and soon the world by storm. However, an alarming element foreign to the world begins to trickle and invade, causing miracles and problems all around. A new mystery is added to mental shutdowns as monsters appear in real life with little to no explanation. Hope still lives on in a small light.
1. The Monster Hunter

How did I end up in a situation as bizarre as this? I'm a prosecutor based in Shibuya, Tokyo. My life has been hard but I have endured. I have worked myself to the bone for the position I stand at now... But first came the wave of mental shut downs, and then the craze of the Phantom Thieves, you think after years of cases and a phenomenon like this you've seen everything.

I wish I could still believe that.

However this afternoon brought an unlikely person to my life. With him, a world I could only think of that would be real in fiction novels, yet this one just happens to be out of the pages and right in front of me.

I suppose I should start from the beginning though. For context.

* * *

 _At first I was headed home early, I could study the most recent case connecting the Phantom Thieves and the mental shut downs best at home, their last victim being Okumura Kinizaku. I was so close. I could tell. Any day I would find and bring them all to justice, even through unsavory means._

 _Unfortunately, I wouldn't make it home until late that night, as I soon found myself being followed by someone. I do have a reputation that precedes me so perhaps I shouldn't have been surprised. I walked around and even attempted to lose them in the crowd. They pursued and even grew closer. I could faintly see them from the corner of my eye._

 _I would have to teach this stalker a lesson. When we approached Central Street, I waited for the perfect moment to seize them, slowing my walk down until I felt a tug on my sleeve._

 _"Stop right there!"_

 _I snatched a small wrist and looked dead ahead at the empty air. Of course, I looked down then, just as surprised as the culprit. A small boy with a large bag over his shoulder and wide eyes stared at me._

 _He struggled some as I noticed something in his hand._

 _"Y-You dropped this! I just wanted to give it back!"_

 _I released him and nearly gasped at my USB device in his gloved grasp. All of my data, my evidence, my plans would have been lost all because of a small error._

 _The boy panted and held it up to me with this nervous expression._

 _"I didn't want to shout over everyone when you dropped it and you kept walking so fast, I thought I'd never get to you..."_

 _The more I looked at him the more he stood out. He was just another kid by the looks, but his clothes were strange, baggy pants with a belt almost as big as his stomach and red bandanna tied around his neck just above his shirt._

 _"Are you... A cosplayer? You seem really young to be into such things."_

 _"I'm Not!"_

 _He shouted abruptly. He must have been asked that often as he mumbled under his breath. I took my USB device back and gave him a smile in return._

 _"Thank you for this. You don't know how much I needed this. Where are your parents? Legal guardians?"_

 _He began to shrink back, forcing a smile on, he shook his head a few times._

 _"I... I'm lost! I don't know my way around town and can't find them. I was hoping someone could help me but... I stopped asking around after an hour and just started wandering around. The police were just no help!"_

 _The kid kicked a can off the street with his fake smile turning to an annoyed frown. I didn't have time for this... But at the time I must have been a good mood._

 _"Do you have a cell phone to call anyone with?"_

 _"Uh... A what?"_

 _Full of surprises, with this one being just one of many, as well as a sign of what was in store. Maybe I should have left him behind right then and there... I didn't of course. Instead, I pulled my phone out to show to him._

 _"This device. Don't you have anything like it?"_

 _"Oh! The hyper slab! Uh-Yeah actually, it's right here, though it's weird how so many people have their own."_

 _I raised a brow at him then. He was too busy digging around in his bag to notice my staring before pulling out something else entirely. It looked like a smart phone, but it looked ornate, sharp edges at the corners that curved. It was too thick to be any brand I could recognize._

 _"That's... Not a cell phone. You've never seen or even heard of one before? What does that thing even do?"_

 _He proudly held it out and tapped the screen with a finger. It came to life with a detailed map of the surrounding area. It was quite impressive and scary how meticulous some details were._

 _"This! Allows me to track down any and all monsters that are trying to get into this world! I'm a monster hunter after all!"_

 _I would learn later that asking him anything about himself would become a double edged sword. Learning one thing for the price of doubling the questions I already had would be a constant._

 _In this instance though I could only stare him down. How could anyone take such a statement seriously?_

 _"That's an impressive navigation app but I'm not one for games or jokes. Sorry."_

 _The boy looked offended for a moment. It must have hit him soon how foolish he sounded as his face grew red in an instant._

 _"R-Right... Uh, an app, whatever that is. I-I thought it was a good joke is all..."_

 _"You never really answered my first question either. Where are your care takers? Even if you're lost, you should know where they are, would be."_

 _"..."_

 _His silence was quite irksome. I did owe it to him to at least tolerate his goofy behavior, being a child is such a privilege, but he could at least not waste my time. He finally told the truth. Well, half of it._

 _"I... Don't have anyone here. I ended up here by accident and no way back home. No money for traveling or place to stay."_

 _"What...?! How long have you been here?"_

 _"Three days? Maybe four."_

 _"Where have you slept? On the street!?"_

 _He nodded. What truly bothered me was how complacent he was with his situation. I was awaiting some sob story or a sign of self-pity... But he seemed like he almost enjoyed this._

 _"It hasn't been all bad! Seeing new things and learning about a whole new wor-er, city, has been pretty cool! Plus, last night, I got lucky and found a bar to sleep in until morning!"_

 _"A bar-?! What!?"_

 _"I think it was at a place called... Crossroads? Lots of red lights in the streets, it was shady, but I managed."_

 _I had heard enough. No child needed to spend a night in a red light district. No way would he be with me and Makoto, there simply wasn't enough room, and Akechi wouldn't want anything to do with this. Nor did he need to._

 _Just as I was about to respond, his device vibrated with an odd sound, which grabbed his attention immediately._

 _"Ah! A new one's already come up! It's so close too! Thanks, miss, but I've gotta go!"_

 _"No you don't, wait just a-"_

 _I grabbed him by his bandanna. Being taller and older, I assumed I could easily overpower him, so imagine my shock when I nearly had fallen on my face. I even found footing after the initial stumble to stand my ground firmly. He only dragged me along by my heels. It was positively embarrassing... He ran quickly into an alley where a model gun store had laid, and just above weaving a giant web with an audible hiss in our direction, a giant ferocious spider._

 _Oh but this isn't where things changed. Don't get me wrong, a large human sized spider in town would be enough for front page news, perhaps a jump in the animal kingdom and other sciences. It lunged at us bearing salivating mandibles that had to be the size of my own head. I hate to admit it but I froze. Just a moment sooner and I could have done something... Anything._

 _Let's be honest though. I would have died were it not for the boy._

 _He was so focused, even though it was clear he was as frightened as myself, pale skin and sweating madly. Even so, he still acted first, and saved our lives. With one full motion, he pulled out a comically large wooden mallet, and swung right for the spider. It smashed it's own head into the swing, with himself finishing it off by going through with the motion, and slamming the mallet into the body._

 _Giant arachnids and insects much have a different anatomy to make up for their size seeing as it died rather instantly... The legs twitched a little and some viscera splattered onto us._

 _He put the mallet away and looked at me with false bravado. Shaking as he thumbed to himself proudly._

 _"N-Now you've seen it for yourself...! Monsters ARE real and I'm a real monster hunter!"_

 _"I... I don't believe it! Is this a joke? If so I'm not laughing! The camera better come out here this instant!"_

 _I was infuriated. Perhaps because my world view had already been challenged by the Phantom Thieves and my peers. Maybe it was all simply too silly or fantastical to believe? Whatever the reason, it had brought the boy to step away from me, and I from him._

 _"I'm serious, kid! What IS this!? Monsters aren't real!"_

 _"H-Hey...! Hey! It would take forever to explain it, okay?! I just-Look!"_

 _He spoke in a curt tone and gestured to the mutilated corpse. It began to shrivel and evaporate with no signs of decay. Even the webbing and small bits of it on us vanished. It left behind an eye, a bundle of silky material in a ball, and a pile of yen. Coins and bills._

 _He bagged everything, taking a moment to inspect the money._

 _"Huh... It's still not gald? What is this?"_

 _"That's yen. It's the currency here... Wh-Where did you say you were from?"_

 _His eyes brightened upon the revelation and pocketed it all. It must have been around ten thousand at least. I probably should have stopped him, but I was still in my shocked state of seeing a living nightmare, as well as seeing someone so small dispatch it so quickly._

 _"Finally...! I can eat all that delicious food I see everywhere! Yes!~"_

 _"Answer my question!"_

 _I spoke sternly. It seemed to work well enough as he almost snapped at attention after that. There was a glimmer of hope after all even as he spoke with a stammer._

 _"S-Sorry...! I come from_ Terca Lumireis _. It's... A country! Far from here. Like, way overseas, really small too."_

 _I have been a prosecutor for a good few years now. I've gained an affinity for seeing tells for lies, hearing them in one's voice as well, so it came to no surprise to me when I saw how poorly he hid his fibbing._

 _"... Please don't lie to me. You're not in trouble, but that was, surprising."_

 _"I'm not lying! I just... Can't tell the whole truth without being laughed at or cast aside. I mean c'mon!"_

 _He gestured towards me with an accusing tone._

 _"You didn't even believe me when I told you, you still don't, even after what we just saw and what I did!"_

 _Rarely had I ever been silenced by anyone. Especially in what can be boiled down to an argument. The court of law and my profession has aided in my argumentative ability..._

 _"I...! Well...!"_

 _So of course, when just meeting this strange new figure in my life, I am dumbfounded and speechless. Caught breathless for a moment before the owner of the model gun store came outside with a scowl._

 _"Could you two beat it? Your argument can be heard half way across town, can't you scold your damn brat somewhere else!?"_

 _I glared back a moment before I caught myself. Today was not a good day so far._

 _"I'm sorry. Come along now."_

 _I grabbed the boy's hand and lead him out of the alley. Whatever strength or power he had before was gone. Maybe he was just grateful to have someone with him now... He didn't say much as we walked to Station Square. However, as we neared the subway, it occurred to me then._

 _"How did you take the train from Shinjuku to here...? You couldn't have walked all around town, right?"_

 _"I just snuck in whenever a huge crowd was around. It gets really cramped though."_

 _You could not imagine how relieved I was to hear such a normal answer after our argument._

 _"Ah... Good. Wait! No, don't do that! I'll pay for us both this time."_

 _"Okay, where are we going?"_

 _That was a good question I hadn't even asked myself yet. We took the escalators to the Underground Walkway before I answered him._

 _"You haven't eaten yet, right? Why don't I take you somewhere and we'll discuss this there."_

 _This was such a waste of time... I had a case to solve, other cases to investigate, people and time to manage. Yet here I was about to spend dinner money on a random boy who crushed a monstrous creature before my eyes. There was just too much mystery around him to ignore..._

 _He certainly didn't mind the invitation._

 _"Hell yeah! I could use something to eat! It's been way too long."_

 _"Watch your language."_

 _"!? Y-Yes ma'am."_

 _"I do happen to know of a sushi shop on the way home... We'll discuss your situation there and see what we can come up with."_

 _"Gotcha! If anymore monsters come up though, I'll have to track it, just so you know."_

 _Groaning, I rolled my eyes at him. Surely he knew how ridiculous he sounded, right?_

 _"Please refrain from saying or doing anything unnecessary. I do have an image to maintain."_

 _He only nodded as we boarded the train. As we entered with the crowd, he clung to me tightly, and I had nearly forgotten that he was a lost child. I pushed away at him regardless._

 _"Don't hold onto me like that. It's uncomfortable."_

 _"S-Sorry...! I just, really hate tight spaces, I feel like I'm gonna get crushed...!"_

 _"Just endure it for now."_

 _This wasn't my child to keep, I already had one little sister, this boy would just be another leech on my life. I could hold his hand to keep him from being swept away in the crowds but that would be it. I've my own goals to look forward to. I decided then. If I wasn't satisfied with whatever we spoke about, I would leave him behind, and focus on my task._

 _We were one of the first few stops. He quit shaking as we arrived to the restaurant and entered. At first, I had already known how expensive the food would be, but I could never had planned for him to be a human garbage disposal. Dish after dish, plate after plate, I could feel the weight of the bill as he kept going... He must have noticed my growing disdain as he swallowed his last meal and began to dig into his bag._

 _"U-Uh... I can pay for us instead! Is it expensive? I'll pay what I can since you didn't eat much."_

 _Thank God this kid had a conscious after all._

 _"... Yes. It would be nice actually. You should have enough. Are you full yet?"_

 _"Yeah!"_

 _"Then I'll call for the bill... So, it just occurred to me, I don't even know your name. I'm Sae, Sae Niijima."_

 _The boy used a napkin to wipe his mouth before smiling at he me with a genuine beaming face._

 _"Karol Capel!~ Thanks a lot, Sae. Is there anything you wanted to talk about specifically?"_

 _As I waved for the bill I had some time to think. Was there anything specific? Oh you bet. I had so many questions regarding Karol himself, his bag, his device... Of course one thing stuck out to me the most._

 _"Your bag... How did it conceal such a large object like your... Weapon, from before?"_

 _"Oh! You're probably expecting a dumb answer like, ' **don't worry about it!',** or ' **magic'**! right? Well-."_

 _Karol lifted the bag to his lap and pointed to a gem embedded into the front._

 _"I have an explanation! This is a blastia, and where I'm from these things are the source of power and energy for everything as they're applied to a multitude of objects, ranging from small things like my bag to generating power for an entire city. They even allow me to hunt monsters like the one from earlier."_

 _"Okay... But how does the energy it generates allows you place objects so big to be held inside? Isn't it heavy or does the bag itself grow bigger?"_

 _"Hah! Well it... Uh... Erm..."_

 _He scratched his head before shrugging at me._

 _"Magic?"_

 _I should have known... I rubbed my temples trying not to lose patience with this brat. He must have taken notice as he grew quiet from there._

 _"You said you wouldn't say that... Oh. Whatever. The bill is here."_

 _As it was placed before us, I could see him struggle with reading it, which was incredibly queer._

 _"Can't you tell? It's eight thousand yen."_

 _"I-I... Can't read your language! I know, know, but I can speak just fine and all. It's... Embarrassing."_

 _"Ugh, such a pain... Okay, just hand out all the yen you have, and I'll help calculate the cost."_

 _As I showed and translated for him I learned my assumption was right. It was an expensive dinner seeing at it came up to eight thousand, but he had money to spare, and if he were to survive here he'd have to do it himself. We left the restaurant and admittedly, it felt nice to not have to pay for dinner, but good times can last only for so long. Sure enough his device began to vibrate and sound. Karol snatched it out from his bag and began to run away._

 _"A-Another monster! Thanks for everything, Sae, but I've got to deal with this fast!"_

 _"Wh-? Wait! The police should handle something like this! Get back-!"_

 _I started to run after him but stopped shortly. What do I care happens to him? I only need to focus on Makoto and myself. I can't be distracted by anything or anyone. That includes this strange brat. However, as I thought back to the spider earlier, I couldn't stomach the thought of leaving him to reckless fight something like that. I followed him while thinking this as I pulled out my phone, readying myself in case this didn't go as easy as last time, I wanted to kick myself for wasting this time on one boy instead of the Phantom Thieves. I hadn't realized it had gotten so late as the road became dark. People were leaving for home, Karol could only be seen under what few street lights were around, and as petty as it sounds my feet were becoming sore. Eventually I found him at a local cemetery just under a tree._

 _I marched my way past the graves having had my last nerve be at it's end, enough was enough, and I would really let this boy have a piece of my mind._

 _"Karol!"_

 _"Aah! Sae? I thought you would have-! Hey get back! This monster is a strong one!"_

 _"Enough games, boy! This is just inane, if these creatures are so dangerous, then get the police to take care of them!"_

 _"B-But...!"_

 _"No buts! You're wasting your time and mine! Throwing your life away for a thankless job that could get you hurt_ _is nothing short of foolhardy! I mean, you took care of that thing from the alley in an instant, I doubt we need your **expertise**!"_

 _"S-Sae if you just-"_

 _"When we get out of here I'll do what I have I should have done when we first met and dump you off the first police station I find! I can't believe you wasted an entire day of my life on nothing but...! Bullshit!"_

 _... I realize now as I think back on it, that was needlessly cruel, even if I was thinking it to be true. He couldn't have known about my life or this town. He didn't even know what a cell phone was. Lately this past year I've noticed just how forceful I've become, how distant to my peers and own family I've been, but it was all for the sake of making it to a proper position. I had to look out for me and me alone._

 _Karol was speechless and dare I say, hurt. We didn't even know each other but he must have thought of me as someone to rely on. The ground began to shake but I was far too angered to notice or care as I reached for him._

 _"Now get over here! We're leaving!"_

 _He stumbled back before the tree ripped away our attention. A guttural roar sounded behind it before massive claws stabbed right through the trunk. A bipedal monster ripped it right out the ground, roots and all, and glared death at us both. Karol and I stared stupefied at the towering beast before he shouted._

 _"A-An eggbear...?! Here!?"_

 _"A **what**?!"_

 _I could see the bear part quite easily with the head being just that. I'll never understand the egg part though... It snarled and raised the tree overhead with a stomp forward. I stumbled and fell back from the quaking ground beneath me. I tried to look for a weapon, a means of escape, anything to survive this supernatural ordeal. I... I couldn't find anything. I just could not believe my misfortune as it brought the tree down on me._

 _It stopped shortly above my body with leaves brushing against me. Karol had stopped the tree with a broken sword he pulled out. From the size and diameter of the tree it had to be around two thousand pounds, as well as noting the eggbear that brought it down at such a high velocity, you could only begin to think what was going on in my head when this small boy stopped by himself. Then he pushed it back with a savage roar himself, throwing the tree back and forcing the monster a step back as well, it was here that I understood that my life just got a whole lot stranger..._

* * *

That's where we are now. I watch in horror as Karol charges the beast with his broken weapon. Meeting it as it swings the tree from the side, and while he blocks the attack, it still brings him up off the ground. It looked painful as he hung onto the tree while the monster wildly thrashed it around.

He took a risky maneuver and let go once it swung skyward. Flying high in the air, he fell straight down with his weapon out, and strikes it on the shoulder with an audible snap.

I feared that Karol had broken something, but the eggbear's arm fell limp with the tree sliding off of the claws, it even moans in pain with a stumble back. Karol looked winded but victorious. However, it had two arms, and the functioning one nearly blurs in my eyes as it swipes away at him. He barely brings his weapon up in time but manages a parry. It isn't enough as the attack knocks the weapon from his hands and right by my side. As well as himself towards me. He lands with a tumble by my feet as I stood to run away.

I was certain he could handle it, but he's just a kid still, and I the adult. As he struggles to push himself up, something shakes in me, and I move without thinking.

I pull him up to his feet, but he sways side to side in a daze, which is a less than ideal state to be in when a muscle bound nightmare is advancing on you at alarming speeds. I slap him hard as I can and shout.

"Get up! You're not done yet! Watch out!"

I took hold of him in my arms and dive out of the way best I can as the monster came down upon us. It swung it's claws and tears open my back. I couldn't hold the shriek as we skid across the grass. Karol woke up then and rips himself from my grasp to face the monster. I could barely move as the pain in back grew numb and I began to fall faint from blood loss.

"Karol... R-Run...! You can't beat this thing..."

"... I-I... I've used to run away all my life... I couldn't even kill the first eggbear I faced... But I'm done running away!"

His face flushes red as tears streak down his cheek with a hand in his bag.

"I can't keep living like a coward... I can't keep getting lucky with the small monsters...! A real monster hunter fights against the odds, no matter what, and that's what I'll do!"

He stands his ground as the eggbear runs for us again. Karol pulled out another hammer, a strange red one that resembled a bulls horn, and swings it down for the foot of the eggbear. Dodging the malicious swipe for his head and smashing it's foot in.

A plume of fire erupts from under the hammer and at the foot, this miniature explosion causes it to lean back on one foot, which Karol takes advantage of by swinging at the standing knee.

It breaks and bends awkwardly with the same explosion doing further damage. The giant falls on it's side, yet Karol was far from done, he left no room for it to recover as he swings down on the elbow of the monster and completely immobilizes it.

He kicks it as the eggbear attempts to sit up, jumps onto it's chest, and brings the hammer down it's head with a finishing blow. The head caved in with a crunch and is blown away with a stronger explosion than the ones before. Karol nearly falls over himself because of it, but manages to maintain his footing, making his way over to me with hammer raised.

"K-Karol...?!"

I look at him terrified. How could I not be? He alone just killed something out of a fairytale or legend with almost as much ferocity. Even his eyes had a new look to them. He brought the hammer down just next to me as a glowing circle forms around us. I feel rejuvenating energy and new vigor wash over my body. I stand to my feet with my hands on my back. I had been healed faster than any known medicine could provide. Karol put his weapon away and looks up at me. In that moment, his childish and goofy smile returns, beaming brightly as he salutes me.

"Monster vanquished! How did I do, huh? I looked super cool right?"

"You looked..."

I glance between him and the eggbear in utter disbelief of either being. One shouldn't exist and the other should never have been able to do what he did. Nevertheless I answer rubbing my temple with a smile.

"You looked very cool, yes."

"Yeaha!~ I knew it! I won't let anyone down anymore! I... Do I... Are you gonna leave me behind still?"

"What? Oh..."

Even with what transpired, the truth did not change, if I took him home how would it look? Rumors would be inevitable, we would have to renovate our apartment or even move...

"Sae...?"

Maybe he could sleep on the couch. What if he gets sick or a monster appears near our home? What would Makoto even think of all this...

"Sae?"

Not to mention what this now means for the rest of Shibuya. I would have to keep this a secret from everyone that I could, even Akechi, and that would be the most difficult...

"Sae!"

"What?!"

I snap at Karol as he pulls me from my thoughts. He points to where the body of the eggbear had been, though in it's place was the same as the spider, a few materials such as claws, fangs, and even a bottle... But none of that mattered compared to the large pile of money that made up the upper half of the body.

"How much is that worth?"

"Th-...! Tha-...! Th-T-That's easily over a million yen! Maybe ten...!"

"Ooh! So it's a lot, right? That makes sense! An eggbear is worth a fortune! Hehe!~"

Karol began to collect his money as I stand here in sheer silence. Perhaps... Karol had a point. So long as monsters appeared, he could live off of his hunts, maybe even support me and Makoto. As I thought this I sigh slowly before taking his hand once he finished collecting his reward.

"Come on... Let's go home."

"Huh? Y-You're not dropping me off somewhere?"

"I couldn't after all that's happened today. Just do me a favor and do your best to keep all of this a secret. There are several people in this town that would use and abuse you."

He looked at me with this skeptical gaze and speaks in an accusatory tone... However it was too ridiculous to take serious. Perhaps that's just what he was.

"Huh... Then, what about you? Are you gonna try anything with me?"

I roll my eyes with a slight shiver. The cold wind of the evening had become chilling suddenly.

"If I wanted to do anything like the such you would already know. It's so cold out tonight so let's-"

"Wait! The back of your shirt is still torn!"

"Oh... Right. I should get it sewn if the damage isn't too bad."

"I can do it right here! I've got the means and the skill! I am a star hunter after all!"

"... What's the worse that could happen?"

As we sat there in the cemetery, I couldn't help but find the irony in today's events, this afternoon I was taking care of this reckless child who was absolutely hopeless without anyone to guide him. Now, here we are, the roles almost reverse as he saved my life and even fixes my shirt with the silk from the spider. He seemingly has everything at the ready and yet no plan beyond whatever lies in front of him... I found myself, envying that for a moment, to be lost yet so sure of anything.

When we came to the subway again, he took hold of me as a smaller crowd came in, though he let go rather quickly.

"S-Sorry... I'm still-"

"You can stay close to me. Here."

I brought a hand to his back and brought him close as we ride the train back. He was rather warm then as he hugs me. I found myself conflicted... But hugged back. Perhaps things could be getting better from here on.


	2. Flighty Suspicion

I have lived my life best I could no matter how harsh or how strange the conditions were. My older sister has given so much for me since our parents left our lives. It has started to eat away at her heart in mind, so much so that she is changed, becoming someone I hardly recognize. I worked so hard as a student to reach the top of my class in Shujin Academy that I nearly became like her myself... Thankfully, I had friends who saved me from a terrible situation I threw myself into, as well as from myself. With them I joined the Phantom Thieves and grew stronger because of it. However, our most recent target has died due to mysterious figure who is framing us. Our newest recruit, ace detective and nuisance, Goro Akechi is aiming us in a new direction to catch this culprit. The source of the mental shutdowns. In order to get to the culprit, we will need bait, another target.

This target is my sister, Sae.

I wait at home with an awkward pit in my stomach. How am I going to face her knowing that her target is now targeting her? Do I just live each day like nothing is happening between us? I hear her soon enough fiddling with the lock and talking with someone. When the door opens I find myself taken aback when a child runs in excited as he looks around.

"It's so small...! Kinda cramped isn't it?"

Sis walks in after him looking even more tired than usual, yet she has a smile on, even when taking the boy by his ear with a her usual stern tone.

"That's why you will be sleeping on the couch. You have a sleeping bag, right?"

"Ow! O-Owowowow! Yes! I do! Yes ma'am!"

"Good. Now behave."

Watching this scene play out before me is surreal. Sis never brought a stranger home, especially a child, how else was I supposed to react with outside of disbelief?

"Sis?! W-Who's this? Could you please explain all of this for me?"

Sis flashes a glare she always sent my way when she didn't want to be bothered. She huffs a breath and makes her way to her laptop on the kitchen table.

"It's a long story, how are your studies coming along, you're not being distracted are you?"

Always my grades. It is her go to when she does not want to talk or needs to focus on something if she finds herself idle.

"I'm not. I'm still top of the class."

"Good. Don't grow complacent. The higher your scores the better the school we can send you after graduation."

"Yes..."

I grew quiet as I look between Sis and the boy who stares back at me. Soon we find ourselves simply staring at each other. He waves at me with a friendly smile. Sis spoke up as I wave back.

"Okay... This is Karol. He doesn't have anywhere to stay, so for the short time being, he'll be staying with us. He shouldn't cause too much trouble, right Karol?"

Sis flashes her signature glare at him. He must already know her as he seizes up like a soldier at attention. She relaxes and closes the laptop before addressing me again.

"I can't watch him all day due to my own agenda, so while you're not at school, could you watch over him for me? I need to look into a few things regarding his records."

My eyes widen. Tomorrow is Saturday, and it has already been booked, it is on one of the bi-weekly Phantom Thieves meetings. I had set that up myself so I _had_ to attend.

"A-Ah! But, tomorrow I have a study group to meet with! Isn't there anyone else that could-"

"No, and I have asked, but you're my last hope for this. Don't worry, he's not as troublesome as he looks, for the most part. Just take him with you."

Sis would never relent. I had to accept yet another responsibility forced upon me. She stands and takes a seat next to me. An apologetic face on...

"I know I haven't been the best sister to you, Makoto. You really have worked yourself to the bone, don't think I don't notice, things are just difficult right now. Please help me here."

"... Sure, Sis. I don't think I could say no to that."

I smiled but wanted to kick myself for answering with that of all things. What else could I have said though?! Sis never was one to beg or be vulnerable... As I recalled this my gaze returns to Karol. He sat there on the ground fiddling with his large bag. He pulls out some questionable items before taking out yen bills and coins. An alarming amount of bills and coins. He looks to Sis waving one handful of bills her way.

"Hey! Hey, Sae! Where should I put the money? You said to give you half right?"

I look at her stunned as she simply put her face in her hands with a small chuckle.

"I... May have found a temporary solution to our financial security. Karol is small but resourceful. I'm going to take a bath and go to bed. You two should do the same after me. I need the rest."

Karol nods and shoves everything back into his bag. No wonder it is so big. As Sis left, I take notice of the stitches on the back of her shirt, and my face must have shown this as Karol grew nervous. Leaving us alone, I thought now could be a good time to learn about this mystery, as well as why Sis had taken such an interest in him. I take a spot by him and kneel down offering a hand.

"So, Karol-kun. It's nice to make your acquaintance."

He takes it with a rather firm grip for someone his age.

"It's nice to meet you too... Uh..."

"I'm Makoto. Looks like I'll be looking after you then. I'm not like my sister, but I do keep busy, I hope that won't be a problem."

Karol shakes at me before he holds up a strange looking phone.

"I've got this to keep me busy too! Don't worry, I'll stay out of the way."

"Well I guess..."

Karol seems like any other kid. Sure his clothes were weird but that is harmless. I have a few more questions to ask him.

"Where did you get so much money? Don't take this wrong way but it looks incredibly suspicious..."

Karol did not look or sound guilty. In fact he looks suspicious of me.

"How come you don't have this much money?"

I am not sure how to properly react to that answer. He is so small and silly looking that I nearly mistook the question for a joke.

"Ahaha... Well, I don't have a job, though I do save my allowance. It's just that you don't see too many adults just pulling out cash confetti from their wallets."

"Oh...! Well... Consider it my job! It's commission, so I don't get paid often, but I get a lot with what little I get. I'm a hard worker after all."

That comes as a surprise. Is Karol an apprentice? There is no way he could legally be working. I need to get a real answer soon. I have just the question for him.

"Karol? Why did my sister have stitches on her favorite shirt? She rarely finds herself in scuffles nor the type to clumsily tear her clothes. Would you know anything about that?"

I had to really hit him with full force. I must be getting better with being intimidating seeing as Karol grows even more nervous. He glances away from me and fiddles with his fingers.

"I... Uh... No comment."

That irked me. However, getting angry or forceful would not solve this, I had to be reasonable. I lean away from him and smile.

"We'll be living together for a bit. She's my sister as well, don't you think it's only right I have an idea of what's going on, Karol?"

Joker must be rubbing off on me because I could see it. Karol's lips quiver as he turns his head away from me now. His eyes look back to me. Just a bit more and I would have my answer. Before I could press him further, Sis returns in her favorite bathrobe, calm and cool as always after she takes a hot bath. She looks to us both.

"Are you two getting along?"

We both nod at her in unison. That must have done the trick as she made her way to her room.

"Good. Go to bed now, it's far too late in the evening for talking, you'll have all of tomorrow to do that."

"Yes Sis."

As I left, I find myself stopped by Karol for just a moment, he whispers to me.

"I-I'll tell you everything later...!"

A pleasant surprise. I nod as he releases my hand and make my way to my room.

"... That's nice to hear. Good night now."

The next morning starts the same as any other. In fact I began to think the whole meeting with Karol was a dream. Sis had left another one of her notes on the table next to my breakfast.

 _I'll be headed to the office to make up for lost time investigating the case. Study hard but do take some breaks in between sessions. Be careful when walking around town. Don't get involved with anyone unsavory and stay out of trouble you two._

 _Sae,_

A sigh escapes my lips as I sit down. Sis treats me like a child even when she scolds me to grow up. Then I notice something odd. _You two._ Who could she be talking about. It could only be Karol, but he is nowhere to be seen, I could only find his bag as I got ready for the day. It sits there at the door with another note on it. However, I can not read the writing, it was too thick and jagged yet also too neat to be chicken scratch. Almost another language entirely. I throw it away and find myself at an impasse.

You see, my own personal handbag had gone missing, I could not have misplaced it and Sis hardly touches my things these days. Curosity further drives me to the bag, but it isn't mine to dig through, and I was on a time limit. Perhaps Karol went outside for a walk? I could not be sure, he certainly was no longer here, and so I decide to take his bag with me.

It is lighter than it looks to be. I catch a few glances on my way out and around town, I certainly could not blame them, but the trip to Shujin was none too difficult... I certainly did look rather silly in the eyes of my peers as I walk through the halls though. I found my friends soon enough on the second year hallway, being a third year myself is convenient, since it allows me to see them before going to class. I approach them with a smile.

"Good morning everyone. I hope you're all doing well?"

Ryuji, a blonde delinquent with a good heart but vulgar tongue, rudely points at me with this desperate tone in his voice.

"Makoto! Thank God, you can tell these two the truth, they think I'm lying!"

I turn to our fellow students, Ann and a quiet boy we've taken to calling Joker, although there was a third individual among them. A cat pokes his head from Joker's bag with a glare at Ryuji.

 _("That's cause you ARE lying! Makoto, great timing, please set the record straight with this idiot!")_

I look between them all with my brow raised. Not at the cat being able to talk, I have grown accustomed to Morgana, but he and Ryuji always argue with each other. Rarely am I the subject though.

"Keep your voices low. Could someone explain to me what I'm supposed to be refuting here?

Ann rolls her eyes and waves off both of them as she answers.

"Ryuji thinks you have some lost relative or something because he, apparently, saw Niijima-san with some kid."

"Yeah!"

Ryuji interjected. His mouth flying off the handle as usual.

"I keep telling you guys that I was there! It was totally Sae with a kid! Hey-!"

He snaps at me and points at Karol's bag.

"T-That's the bag I was talking about too! See? It even has the effin' jewel I was talking about on it!"

Ann leans over as I show the bag off. I had never noticed the odd emblem it held until now. Morgana scoffs and looks to me.

 _("So what? There are probably tons of bags like that! Lady Ann, you're our fashionista, can't you say something?")_

"I sure can. It's way too big to be a trend. Plus it's kinda bland without the jewel. You could probably use it for something like camping or whatever. Why are you even using it Makoto?"

All eyes fall on me. I can feel a small bead of sweat on my brow as I brush my hair with my fingers trying to laugh their intense stares away.

"W-Well I can't speak for my sister's actions, but there is some truth to Ryuji's claim, this bag isn't mine. She did in fact bring a boy to our apartment last night. This is his."

Morgana groans and sinks into Joker's bag as Ryuji laughs triumphantly.

"I may have been off a bit, but now you know I'm right, yeah-!~"

 _("Ugh... Whatever! You guys are about to be late for class so get to it!")_

"O-Oh crap! See you after school!"

We all went our separate ways; I make it to class just on time though. As the teacher spoke and I took notes, I knock my eraser off my desk, garnering a slight groan that turns to a sharp gasp.

A gloved hand comes out of the bag and takes the eraser. It then offers it back to me. I shake my head sweating some as I can feel the color of my skin fading away. I barely manage to keep myself low enough to a whisper as I hesitantly take the eraser.

"K-Karol...?! Is... That you?"

The hand gestures into a thumb up before slipping back into the bag. I can not believe this. I have to be hallucinating; I am having a strange dream in the middle of class. I will wake up if I pinch myself. I jump before I get the chance as the hand taps my leg.

"... W-What...?"

I could just hear him whisper back to me as I try not to draw too much attention to myself. Which is incredibly difficult in my position in class.

"I gotta go to the restroom...! There is one at school right...?"

"Did you not go at home?! O-Okay hold on...!"

It was not too difficult to excuse myself. If anything I could come and go as I please, though I would never abuse this privilege, it came in handy. I stop just outside the restrooms and look around cautiously before I set the bag down.

"Okay, coast is clear. You can come out now."

I watch in suspense, then awe, as Karol seamlessly hopped out of his own bag. He runs into the boys restroom and soon comes back out with his gloves placed in between a belt loop.

"Thanks for that! I thought I wouldn't make it... Whoa!~ So this is your school? It looks... Pretty official."

"And you look very out of place! How did you even fit yourself in the bag!? Does Sis know about this?!"

"... We-Well... She knows that the bag **could** hold me...!"

I bring my hands to my face mumbling incoherently even to myself.

"I don't even know what to do with this information..."

"I'll just stay in the bag until you leave school! You won't even know I'm here!"

"... Is this what it's like for Joker? Fine, just keep yourself quiet, you really aren't supposed to be here."

I lower my hands and gasp again. Even though I saw him jump out, it is still alarming to see him go back in, especially so cautiously. Once he is inside and I had gathered my bearings, we return to class, the rest of the school day proceeding as normal. With the final bell, I take leave of the classroom and begin to do my part in cleaning the school, and for once I am glad to say rarely do I receive help in this area. Once I was sure we were alone, I open the bag to see Karol asleep, and lower it to the ground.

"Wake up, Karol. School is over and we need to talk."

"Huh-?! Oh... Sure."

He lazily drags himself out of the bag and onto his feet with a yawn.

"Wha'sit we supposed to do now?"

"What's your deal. What is it that you and Sae are so insistent on telling me? I'll have you know I've only tolerated this for so long for her sake. Please, come clean now or I won't be held responsible for my actions."

That woke him up. He is not as nervous as before. Karol reaches into his bag and pulls out the strange smart phone.

"Okay, okay. A few days ago, I woke up in an alley in this town, with this in my hands. It alerts me to... Jobs I have to do. I'm really trying to make sense of it."

"You're not. What is this job you keep alluding to?"

"It-It's...!"

The device starts to vibrate and light up with the screen detailing the image of a strange creature. It had to be an avian of a kind. Karol looks at it with a determined glare before looking around, clueless.

"Are there any stairs to the roof?"

"Yes, just down the hall, but what does that have t-"

He snatches his bag off the ground and makes a mad dash for the stairs. I could hardly believe it as I ran after him shouting.

"Karol! Get back here this instant! You're not supposed to be there!"

I follow him up to the roof and to a scene I thought I would only see in my activities as a Phantom Thief. Another friend and fellow member, Haru, had set up a garden she grows here. I do my part so neither student nor staff bothers her. However, she and I stand dumbfounded at the sight before us, a giant bird with thick feathers swoop down on Haru with a cry. She dives to the ground and narrowly escapes the razor talons. The wind it carries behind it as it flies back up almost knocks me back down the stairs.

"Ha-Haru! Quick! Get inside!"

She ran for me as I hold the door open. My eyes scan the roof for Karol; they fly wide as I find him climbing the railway to keep students from falling. He shouts loudly as he waves at the monster bird. This of course led me to shouting at him as I run to stop his suicidal attempt.

"Karol, no! Get down from-"

The shrill cry of the giant hawk interrupts me as it comes down for us both. It leans up to take my head within it's talons, and it nearly did, until Karol jumps off the fence with a pickaxe as big as himself in hand.

He stabs it deep within the shoulder of the hawk and causes it to falter, yet still grabbing me by my own, it takes us both into the sky. It is hard for me to see from under it, but I could still see Karol dangling from his weapon, he takes one hand off it to his bag.

He takes the bag off of his shoulder and swings it at the head of the giant hawk. Heavy pounding and crunches sound with each strike, even the head moves about. I hope that Karol's assault really does hurt this thing. I look around and scream as we near a building. It thrashes and flips Karol on it's back.

The hawk proceeds to slam it's own back against the window and drag itself along the side until we reach the edge. I hold up my arms to keep the glass from hitting my body; flying away from the windows, I find a glass shard in my leg and take it out stab at the claws digging into my shoulder.

I manage to get enough hits in for it to release me. Unfortunately, I did not calculate how high we were, shortly entering free fall as I descend.

Just as I near the lower buildings, I land onto something soft with a hand grabbing me, still alive with all of my limbs in tact.

"I got you! Just hang on tight!"

"K-Karol!?"

He looks far worse than I, as did the bird, the pickaxe now sticking out of head. He must have stayed on top of the hawk when it crashed against the building. He holds onto the furry feathers of the hawk and pulls me up to his side.

"I think I cracked the head open! He's starting to fly real low now!"

"THIS IS INSANE! HOW ARE WE SUPPOSED TO GET DOWN WITHOUT CRASHING?!"

"Uh..."

He shrugs at me as I took hold of the hawk. Fearfully, he makes his way up the back and to the neck before standing up, taking hold of the pickaxe to stable himself.

"K-Karol?! What are you doing!?"

"Trying to land it...! **Ngh**!"

Holding on tightly to the handle of the pickaxe, Karol jumps and stomps down on the head of the hawk. Each stomp lowers it to the ground. Soon we enter a green park with trees. Knocking itself into them, the hawk crashes and throws us both off of it, all three of us tumbling to the ground.

My body aches all over. I can barely feel my shoulder and it takes my all just to sit up. It looks like we landed in Inokashira Park. I can hear the hawk's weakened cries; it helplessly squirms in a dirt trail mafe from the crash. Karol groans before turning the pickaxe on the blunt side as he approaches the monster. A final swing flattens the head.

He pants heavily and puts the oversized weapon into his bag. Drained of stamina, he falls on his back with a tired sigh, his hands over his face.

"This thing was sooo weak! Why did it give me so much trouble!? I have to be better for the next one..."

"... Next one...?"

Oh no. No no no. I did not like hearing that one bit. I stand to my feet marching over to him. I have had enough stalling.

"No more deflecting questions, Karol. You're going to answer my questions, now!"

To my amazement he looks more frightened of me than the giant bird he killed.

"I-I know! I know... Hey. Your shoulder is messed up! I can fix that!"

"Wha-! Didn't you just hear me?"

Karol ignores me and takes out yet another oversized weapon, although this broken greatsword looks more viable than the pickaxe from before, he slams it into the ground with a glowing circle forming on the ground.

Both of us find ourselves healed of our wounds. Karol still suffers from bruises and small cuts. His attention is then taken from me and moves back to corpse. It vanishes under a dark cloud that evaporates quickly. It leaves behind one thousand yen and it's sharp beak.

Karol scoffs and pulls at his hair.

"Ah-! What!? That's it!? The spider gave more money than this!"

"Wait... Spider?"

"U-Uh...! Well..."

I find myself less angered at him now. Maybe because he did save my life, or probably because he had that kind of air about him, I shake my head and lower myself to eye level with him.

"Does Sae know about all of this?"

"Yeah. She's the one who told me to call it my job when people ask. I really wanted to tell you but... Would you have believed me before now?"

"... No. No I wouldn't."

I think it is worse in my case than with Sis... Fighting monsters was often as a Phantom Thief... Oh my God!

"I'm late! My shirt is a mess and I'm- Oh what am I going to do?"

Karol digs into his bag with a gasp.

"I can sew your shirt up! It's a cleaner cut than what Sae got, so I should make it look better, I've got tons of practice!"

"Wait Sae was in one of these monster attacks?!"

"...! I-I'll uh, I'll tell you on the way to your study group!"

I could not help but roll my eyes at that response. As I sat down to let Karol work, I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket, a sweet sense of relief rise in my chest upon realizing it is still by my side. I take it out and see the group chat flooded with messages from everyone.

It is going to be a long day.


	3. Violent Generosity

My lungs burn as I fall short of breath. I can't contain my grief as awful thoughts flood my head. This incessant and ever growing guilt in my chest that grows ever more as I race down the crowded streers. I head towards the last seen location of the monster bird. Inokashira Park. As I enter the park, I see Niijima-san soon enough, her shirt stained with blood and some dirt. Walking by her side is the the boy from the roof. He looks much worse than Niijima-san, clothes a torn and ragged mess with stains of both blood and dirt, even small cuts and bruises on his body.

For some reason he has a rather proud and bright smile on despite this. I run to them nearly out of breath. I speak between harsh breaths as I try to steady myself.

"Niijima-san! You're alright...! How did you two escaped that bird?"

H-Haru! I was just about to message everyone. We didn't escape the bird actually... My friend here stopped it."

She gestures to the smiling boy.

"His name is Karol, and he's apparently a monster hunter, which is hard to say seriously... But it's true."

I would never imagined Niijima-san of all people to say something so absurd! Were it not for their dire appearances I might have laughed. I couldn't speak after that and only look between them in skeptical silence. Karol pouts and starts to dig into the large bag Niijima-san had at school. It looked more natural on him. He pulls out what looks like the beak of the bird. It had to be, it is nearly the size of a shortsword, something I've looked into.

"Proof! This is the beak of that hawk! Are monsters really so rare here?"

"M-Monsters don't exist Karol-kun... Then again, I've never seen a hawk like that before. Niijima-san, I don't mean to doubt either of you, but..."

She sighs and rubs her temple.

"I know, I know, but as things stand I can't exactly go to LeBlanc as I am. Karol, you should get to a clinic and-"

Karol interrupts her shaking his head.

"No way! What if another monster appears? I should stay in town or at least stay with you!"

He pats his bag with a rather mischievous grin.

"I've got medical stuff right here! I could jump in and jump out good as new!"

I raise a brow at that. What did he mean by jumping in? I lift my hand for their attention.

"E-Excuse me but... I'm not sure I understand."

Karol and Niijima-san look at each other before looking back to me.

"Haru... Would you do us a favor? I am, required, by my sister to look after Karol. However, as you can see, I need to change my shirt plus our _study group_ meeting."

"So could I hang with you for a bit until Makoto fixes herself up?"

One thing after another. I wasn't sure how to really answer this, it would be so rude to refuse, yet everything about this was sketchy. Still, I think I can handle a child, even if a little rambunctious, Karol-kun seems honest enough.

"I guess I can... Sure."

Niijima-san smiles with a nod as Karol cheers.

"Thank you so much, Haru."

"You're the best! Okay, so this may take awhile, just carry this bag I won't weigh it down one bit!"

My mouth opens to ask what he means. However, I am speechless as Karol places his bag on the ground and enters it, entirely. I even find myself short of breath with my eyes caught between the bag and a groaning Makoto.

"After everything we've seen and done... I try to remind myself how strange the world can be. Please be careful."

"...! W-Wait! Niijima-!"

She power walks away just as I gather enough of myself to ask a question... Leaving me with this. A small whine escapes me before I take the bag. It is actually pretty light. I call my personal limousine to pick me up and think where can I go now? I am not too sure if Karol is even still in the bag... I knock on the bag with a whisper.

"H-Hello? Karol-kun?"

I have to cover my mouth as I see his head and bare shoulders pop out from the top. Band-aids and bandage wraps on covering parts of his body.

"Yeah, Haru?"

"G-Ge-Get back in the bag please...! Before someone sees you!"

"B-But you called for me- Whoa!"

I push him back in as I notice the driver looking back from the corner of my eye.

"Okumura-sama, I noticed you ran from school to the park. Is everything alright?"

"Y-Yes! Yes, all is well, don't worry about it!"

"By the way, is that a new accessory, it looks a bit big."

"Ahahah!~ I-It's a gift from- er, for, a friend! I'm holding it for her and it's just that there's a bit more than I can handle is inside!"

It is a bit difficult to lie to this driver as he's known me for a time by now. Thankfully he doesn't inquire any further.

"Please refrain from being near any unsavory figures, Okumura-sama. I know that Niijima girl is rather studious, but for your other associates, I am admittedly concerned."

"O-Of course! You don't need to worry about me."

"Yes ma'am. Where is our destination today, I might ask?"

That has me in a pause. Karol is still doing... Whatever he is in his bag. I can't take him to LeBlanc, I can't be too late for our meeting either, there is even Niijima-san who I don't want to leave behind... Then again. Knowing her, she may find us before we find her, or head for LeBlanc and wait for us there...

"H-Haru...? I got a problem...!"

Karol whispers from inside the bag. The top cracks open as his eyes alone become visible. I look between him and the driver before responding

"Is it dire?"

"N-No! Well, yeah. I thought I had spare clothes, but I forgot all my spares have been ripped up this past week, I don't have anything not torn half to shreds."

"Oh my... That is a problem. Just a moment."

I gesture to the driver and raise my voice.

"Excuse me! I'd like to stop at Station Square! There are some personal items I need to get in Central Street."

"Of course, Okumura-sama."

It takes a bit of time due to the traffic but we make it to Station Square just fine. I keep the bag just barely open as we begin to browse numerous stores. As I move between stores, I decide to ask him questions, my phone up to my ear so no one grows suspicious.

"So, Karol-kun. How is it that you and Niijima-san come to know each other?"

"You know her sister, Sae? We helped each other out! I'd still be on the street without them."

"The street? Where are your parents?"

"I don't exactly have any. Never had really."

"O-Oh! I didn't-"

I wanted to slap myself silly for being so- that was such a Sakamoto-kun thing to do...

"My apologies. That was rude of me."

I try to back pedal on my question, but strangely enough, Karol reassures me.

"Don't worry about it. You couldn't have known, right? How are your parents?"

"Mine? They're gone too. My mother passed when I was rather young, my father was killed not too long ago, it's hard to process still..."

Now it is Karol who grows quiet and mumbles in a guilty tone. I can't help but feel a bit worse since this was the last thing I intended.

"Huh... So even in a world with no monsters, kids lose parents, that's crappy."

"It isn't all bad. In fact, most of our friends share that trait, but we have each other instead! Ironically this makes none of us alone!"

"Huh... Friends..."

"Karol-kun?"

There is this rather strange and uncomfortable pause in silence only filled in with the idle ambience of the busy city. He then blurts out.

"Hey! Stop for a minute! That outfit over there, you think it comes in my size?"

He starts to point from his bag, although I slap his wrist quickly, I will never get used to this... How does Joker do it with Mona-chan?

"P-Please don't make yourself known...!"

"Ow ow ow... S-Sorry..."

I did happen to notice what caught his eye. It was dark themed jacket with a lot of brutish designs. I could see Sakamoto-kun or even Joker wearing that, but it was hard to envision someone as small as Karol wearing that, especially when he seems so bright.

"I don't think it's for your age range... Let's try something with a bit more color to it! Oh, I know just the place."

The store I think of now is in Central Street. It's quite easy since Sakamoto-kun and Mona-chan have helped me learn a few shortcuts. As we make our way down a quaint but wide alley, my arm is seized by a harsh grip, a familiar hold that has my body go rigid... It was him again.

"Hold it right there, _dear."_

Sugimura. A vile man my father had me engaged to for his own gain. With father gone, the wedding is now of my choice, and I desired to escape this overbearing man. His well-mannered and formal attire is but a front for his true repulsive and possessive nature. He truly is someone who is ugly on the inside.

"I-I believe my letter was quite clear enough about the end of our relationship! Release me at once!"

He takes my shoulder and pins me against the wall. He forces the bag off of me with disgust of his own.

"What an unslightly accessory. Now then..."

Sugimura leans in uncomfortably close as he tend to when it is only us. Going down this alley was a mistake...!

"Just because your father croaked doesn't mean you're not mine still! If anything, you've no where to go and no one to be with, no one but me."

"C-Cease this at once or I-"

"Or what?! Scream? People here don't care and no one will want to help a bastard like your father! They'll just assume you're as bad as him!"

"I-I...! I'll call the police!"

He flinches and releases me with a step back. He reaches for me again but stops shortly. Something hold him back.

"Wh-What in the-?! A boy!?"

"Run Haru, I got this creep!"

Karol holds my ex-fiancé by his leg, keeping him from advancing further to me, but I could hardly move myself.

"What do you think you're doing!?"

"Go get away! I'll be fine!"

"B-But-!"

Sugimura is an impatient and cruel man, yet he still finds ways of making me gasp, such as striking Karol with his own fists. Even so, Karol held him.

"Don't worry about me! Just get out of here!"

"Let go of me you damned brat! Let! Go!"

"I can handle the scumbag! Just go to Makoto!"

Niijima-san...! The whole group! They could be here in minutes! It is a difficult choice, so I decide to do it here, rather than abandoning this little boy with this scumbag. I take out my phone and begin texting everyone.

You would think, why not call the police, but please consider the situation. Sugimura is from an affluent and political family, he himself has an influence in society, even though it is small in the grand scheme it's enough to sway the blame on us. Karol would be at the mercy of a corrupted legal system, and with my father's actions now public with his horrific murder, he leaves a deep stain on our family name and reputation. My word against Sugimura's wouldn't be worth anything to the law...

But that's why I joined the Phantom Thieves! My heart began to swell as I saw the replies coming instantly. No time to revel in my joy, I am renewed with strength in heart and mind, and face this vile man.

"Sugimura! That's enough! Leave the boy alone!"

After a small assault, Karol releases him, stumbling back with wounds reopening from his head. This deplorable human being turns to me with a wild gaze.

"Oh I will. When I am done with you both, you can wallow in the trash together! I'll- HEUGH!"

He shrieks and I gasp. The sound of bone snapping, perhaps even crunching, and the awkward sight made me freeze. Karol had punched Sugimura's knee and caused it to bend in an awkward direction... Sugimura falls over on his side clutching his knee, but before he can continue, Karol relentlessly begins to beat him. I didn't think it was possible for someone so small to do so much damage.

"Think you're so tough just cause you pick on someone who doesn't want any trouble?! Try fighting someone who's gonna hit back! C'mon! Fight back!"

He had this coming admittedly. Perhaps he deserved worse, but that wasn't up to me or Karol to decide, not now at least. I hesitantly take a swung arm and pull the boy back.

"Th-That's enough! He can barely lift his arms anymore, Karol-kun!"

Karol calms down as I pull him away. I expected Sugimura to be threatening us. Instead, he could only moan and groan, in fact his face looks broken. I couldn't note anything specific as Karol was my priority. I hurry him to his bag and quickly make my way out of the alley. However, just as I open it for him to enter, a strange jingle sounds, and he becomes very active.

"A-Ah! Another monster? Really? This soon?!"

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

"Gimme a sec!"

He pulls out a strange phone and begins fiddling with it.

"Karol-kun, we need to get you out of here, now isn't the time for any delay!"

"B-But the monster...-!"

We both fall short of breath at the sound of an otherworldly groan sounds behind us. We turn and see a dark portal open in the wall, between us and Sugimura, a horse larger than any equine I had seen in my life steps out. Dark fur with a jagged and long horn that grows from the head. It glares at us with the portal behind it closing. I could barely speak at the sight of it.

"What...!?"

Instinctively I reach for my face. Assuming it a Shadow, monsters that we Phantom Thieves fight in the hearts of our targets, but I felt nothing. I am reminded I am in reality as I turn around to see the crowd of people outside of the alley. Karol brings an arm out in front of me. Snatching the bag from my grasp and digging into it, he pulls out a wooden mallet in a flash, a weapon large as it was comical.

"Don't worry, Haru! I can beat this one! Maybe!"

"A-Are you serious...? Is THIS what you and Niijima-san were talking about?!"

"Told you I was a monster hunter! Now step back, it's gonna attack!"

It pulls back on it's hind legs with a strange neighing sound before it thrusts the horn for us. Karol swings the mallet at the oncoming horn and bats it away. It advances on us, forcing us back to the edge of the alley, each attack deflected by Karol's own defensive swing. Eventually it raises itself up to wind up a final attack. Karol brought his mallet down on the tip of the horn... But it being wooden, it was impaled by the sharp tip, and takes Karol off the ground as he hangs onto his weapon.

"W-Wait Karol let go of-"

I don't exactly know what my thought process was at this moment, maybe I was terrified for him, but what could I have done in this instance? Well. I did hold onto him while he was hoisted above ground. It was so fast and his shirt were in tatters, it had completely been ripped off as I flew off of him. Thankfully I landed on something soft.

Then I open my eyes to find myself riding the creature through the panicked streets. I pat myself and realize a terrible truth, my phone had fallen from me when I was lifted up, that and I had no control of this thing. I lower myself onto the back and hold tightly onto the fur as Karol helplessly flails about.

I look up at him and see him digging in his bag. He takes his hand out and throws a powder in it's face. It must have done trick as it starts to cry and thrash around wildly.

"K-Ka-Kar-Karol! What are you doing?!"

"D-Don't talk or you'll bite your tongue! Ow!"

He became silent after that. The unicorn leaps from the streets and into an empty lot. It stops to reign back thrashing the head up. Karol finally slips off and flies high into the air with a scream. There is not much I can do, but as fear grips my heart as I watch Karol fall, I see a broken sword in his hand brought down against the head of the equine.

He breaks his own mallet that's stuck with the horn and even takes the horn off itself. The monstrous horse falls on it's side with a weakened cry as blood pours from it's head wound. I can't help but let out one myself as I fall with it.

Thankfully I am unharmed and swiftly release this beast at once.

"What in the world...!? Karol! Karol-kun are you okay!?"

Karol picks himself up off the ground, bleeding lightly with a pant, he looks the monster over before he runs to my side. He doesn't say anything as the creature stands up with a growl. I run from it quick as I can. Who wouldn't after going on such a dangerous ride. Karol, apparently, because I stop shortly after realizing he stood his ground. I turn and shout at him.

"Karol-kun! We have to get away from that thing! Karol-kun!?"

Once more it pulls back, raising it's hooves before bringing them down on Karol, with legs strong enough to damage a car I feared he would have been crushed. Imagine my shock when this hadn't occurred. As the hooves came down, Karol dove ahead with a roll, evading under it with a swing for the hind legs as he got up. It stumbles before falling over as Karol continued his previous swing, knocking the fore limbs off balance as well, it cries loudly as it's body hit the ground again.

This was the most frightening part. Karol did not hesitate, and plunged the broken sword into the belly of the horned horse, and brutally gutted it with a viscous snarl of his own. I step back and watch fearfully as the monster's movements slow to a halt. Bleeding out to death as Karol uses his weapon as a crutch to stand.

"K-Karol-kun...?"

"I'm fine! I've overdid it a bit, but it looks dead, so are you okay?"

He stands up straight and flashes a bright smile at me. Warm and sunny, innocent even, the scary aura he had gone in a flash. It reassures me and allows me to look past my own fear as I approach him.

"You...! You really did kill it! I can't believe this! Does this mean youreally did kill that large bird earlier?"

"We told you! Oh, if it is dead..."

He looks to it expectantly. Not long does the body begin to darken and shrivel up before evaporating into a strange dark cloud. A neat pile of yen bills and coins sit in place with the broken horn being all that remains. Karol pumps his fist with a big smile. The blood on him gone as well.

"Aw yeah!~ A holy horn! That looks like a lot of money too."

"I'm... Horribly confused...! It's like you defeated a strong Shadow! What just happened to it?"

"The Munico? I don't know. Usually the corpses stay when you hunt monsters, but ever since I came to Shibuya, they've all done this... What's a Shadow?"

He looks to me half as confused as myself. I shake my head at him and stand to my feet as he starts to put the money in his bag.

"I can't answer that right now. Just know that you're a very peculiar boy. Uhm... Let's go get those clothes for you. It's not too late yet and I need to go shopping for a new phone anyhow... I dropped mine all the way back at the alley in Central Street..."

"Sounds like a plan! S-Sorry about your phone though..."

"It will quite fine. After all, you'll be paying for it if course, right?"

"H-Huh!? I mean-! I guess it's my responsibility..."

"Haha!~ I'm joking! Get back in your bag, you'll catch a cold without a shirt, so please hurry inside."

"Y-You... You really got uses to this, huh?"

I only shrug as he hops back into the large bag and hoist it over my shoulder. He has a point. Earlier this afternoon I couldn't take anything he or Niijima-san had to say seriously. However, now I simply accepted things as they were, it made dealing with them easier as it's not too different from the Phantom Thieves activities. The first thing we did was buy new phones for us both. It took some time but I managed to message everyone again. Niijima-san was in quite the panic, as were everyone when videos of the Munico had been posted, though most footage had been blurred. My face was hidden in the fur with Karol being thrown about so wildly you could hardly make him out.

I call my limousine to make our way back to Central Street. On the drive there I decide to ask some questions that bother me.

"Karol? The unicorn, Muni..."

He pops his head out speaking in a studious tone.

"Munico, a subspecies of the unicorn, it's horn can cure any disease bit it's bloodlust keeps people away from it-"

I proceed to push him back in just until I can see his eyes. I bring out my phone to fool my driver.

"Y-Yes! Yes fascinating! What I meant to ask though is... It came through a passageway that seemed, supernatural. I can assume it came from another dimension or even world?"

"Yeah!"

"Does this mean you're from another world?"

"... Yeah."

"That's... Rather astounding! Is it like our own?"

"I-I don't wanna talk about it. Can I go back in my bag now?"

"But I'm curious!"

Karol stares at me with these childish puppy eyes... And I'm afraid to say that they forced to concede. I sigh and look away as he sinks back into his bag. My phone vibrates with a few more messages from my friends. I text them that we're on the way just as we find the perfect outfit for him. We just... Have to buy a few more for later. For reasons that go without saying.


	4. Eye for an Eye

"LET HIM GO!"

My friend shouts out. I can barely breathe enough air to call back.

 _ **"You kids love to play heroes and thieves! Why don't I make your dreams of delusional grandeur into truth... Starting with this one."**_

Everyone screams my name as the knife makes it's way to my left eye. This creep has me where he wants me, and I've been beaten too badly to stop him, just able to watch as everything slows down to a halt in my view. Is this really it? The end? How'd it come down to this...?

* * *

 _Recently Shibuya has gotten real dangerous. The city is always kind of a danger zone I guess but, not like these last few years, crime is a bit way too high thanks to the mental shutdowns that's been occurring. That's why when me and my friend learned of the Metaverse, we decided to become Phantom Thieves, reforming society one distorted heart after the other. We made more friends, tons of headlines, but it all came crashing down after Okumura died. Bad timing and fake evidence pointed the finger our way. It's up to us alone to prove the Phantom Thieves' innocence!_

 _That was the plan until during our meeting today after school. We were all there, though Makoto and Haru were late, nobody really questioned it at the time. Me and Ann did ask about Haru's bag she bought in._

 _"Yo, Haru? How come you're carrying Makoto's bag? You still got your own!"_

 _"Yeah, I didn't think you were a fan of something so plain either. Isn't it a hassle to carry two purses?"_

 _We must have brought something up cause Haru jumped and started talking funny. She hit the bag for some reason... Though, I coulda sworn I heard a voice somewhere._

 _"O-Oh it's nothing to be concerned about! Right, Mako-chan?"_

 _Makoto chipped in right after her._

 _"I gave her a long list of items to stock on for our future ventures into Sis' Palace. She had the means and I simply gave her a way to hold everything."_

 _Akechi spoke up right after all impatiently._

 _"I don't want to rush you but we are on a deadline here. Let's get right to it, everyone."_

 _Futaba, our mega resourceful navigator and info-gatherer, brung her laptop to the center of the meeting table._

 _"So I managed to recognize the map we used for the first couple of floors. We still only have one way in and out. Not to mention that stupid block. How're we supposed to get a reservation for the higher floors if we can't steal one?"_

 _Yusuke shook his head with a sigh._

 _"Earning something that is impossible for us to attain. Quite fitting for a rigged casino."_

 _I scratched my head trying to think of a solution. I'm sure I could've come up with something eventually. Akechi came up with one first though._

 _"I propose an idea. We'll attend one of Sae-san's court cases today. Conveniently, she was working on a case before the mental shutdowns, it's a shut and close case from what I learned. We'll be in and out with time to visit the Palace before dusk."_

 _Everyone looked so amazed at how he came up with it on the fly. Haru and Ann were on board from the start._

 _"My, that is convenient! We'll be done in no time at this rate!"_

 _"Yeah, Akechi-kun is pretty resourceful!"_

 _Futaba and Yusuke add their two cents and all..._

 _"I gotta say, detective, that's not a bad idea. It's like what happened with my Palace."_

 _"Seeing as it's part of her cognitive world it would immediately be affected. Indeed, much like Futaba."_

 _Even Makoto and Morgana gave into this idea!_

 _"It'll be risky and uncomfortable... But it's worth a shot."_

 _("It's more than worth it, it's guaranteed to work, our new member is really learning how this works.")_

 _"A bit too well for my likes. He is the ace detective. It only makes sense."_

 _I didn't want to give him the satisfaction of a response... It was an alright plan though. Our leader must have thought so too since he gave an approving nod. Akechi gave his fake Colgate brand smile as he rubbed his neck with a laugh._

 _"I'm glad to have everyone's support. It may be a public court but I still had to pull a thing or two to get us in. Let's go."_

 _It was kinda awkward moving as a group with Akechi around us. If people weren't looking, they were talking, and sometimes they'd just talk to him. Sure he brushed most of them off but it was unreal how popular he's become. It doesn't matter anyhow. We got to the courthouse and found Sae's courtroom. That's when things started getting weird. We managed to get in on time and sat close as we could to the prosecutor. Felt like forever until she noticed us at last. She was mumbling under her breath but it didn't matter. We got what we-_

 _("We got what we came here for, let's not waste anymore time on this and go!")_

 _I glared at Morgana and whispered best I could at his dumbass._

 _"Stay in bag, dammit...!"_

 _Around that moment is when Makoto's bag began to move around in her lap. I could've sworn she was talking to it, but I didn't wanna try and suspect of her something, maybe she was keeping a cat in her own bag? We left during a recess and found our entryway. The Metaverse works all wonkily. You see, we have this app on our phone that sends us to another world, like inside the head or heart of the person we enter the name of. We can only exit from the spot we entered in. Our looks change when we enter a Palace, the location of our targets distorted hearts, and use our powers as Phantom Thieves to steal the Treasure. The source of their distorted desires that causes the person to act so rotten._

 _Soon as we walk in, Makoto gasps loudly as she struggles with her bag again, we all saw something moving inside._

 _"Y-You guys...! Go on ahead! I'll be right back!"_

 _We all looked at each other with suspicion, or hurt, Iunno it was kinda weird that she'd hide something from us. Haru was the first to act; I bet it was cause she was in on it._

 _"I'll stay behind to be your back up if something happens. There shouldn't be a problem after all, right?"_

 _"I... Guess... Joker?"_

 _Oh right! Code names! I'll be using those for a bit since that's how Phantom Thieves roll! I'm Skull, Morgana is Mona, Ann is Panther, Yusuke is Fox, Makoto is Queen, Futaba is Oracle, Haru was Beauty Thief but that was a crap name so we changed it to Noir, Akechi is Crow, and finally our leader. Joker._

 _Joker looks at Queen and Noir with a nod before he waved at the rest of us to follow him. I was curious to what those two were up to, but we have a job to do, so I followed the others inside._

 _Sae's Palace is actually kind of a sick place. It's actually got style to it. The Palace of anyone with distorted hearts is a place changed into what they think of that place. It can be a room, a building like a school, or even an entire city! Here, it's the courthouse we visited earlier, a casino, where all the games are rigged. In other words, she thinks that the cases are all gambles that can be tampered with, rigging evidence is just fine in her eyes._

 _Her being Queen's sister is just another reason to steal the Treasure here in this heart. We entered once before just to get a feel for the place, but ended up in fights for our lives, as well as rigged gambles. We've got to cheat to win the Palace Ruler's game._

 _Oh yeah, Palace Rulers are called Shadows, and they're like the you you hide away inside your subconscious. Most of them harbor the nastiest of nasty traits of a person's heart and have it on full display. Shadow Sae is weird though. Unlike others before who sent enemies after us or straight up tried to kick us out, she invited us in, probably to gamble against us or something._

 _We snuck in from a fire escape and into the roof. It's always a cool feeling to sneak around in the rafters and on the platform lights above. We had stolen these member cards that allow us to get to higher floors and keep track of the chips we win from each game. Last time it took fifty thousand of the damned things so I could only imagine how many it'd be now that we made it to the highest floor. The block obstructing our way had vanished and to our surprise Sae's Shadow was there to greet us._

 ** _"So, you've made this far. Come. I have a word of warning to share with you."_**

 _We looked at each other surprised since we never got to see a Palace Ruler this late in the Palace. When we walked out of the elevator, the Shadow entourage by her side had vanished, replaced by this tiny kid instead. Noir gasped as Makoto mumbled loudly under her breath._

 _"Karol...?!"_

 _"Karol-kun!"_

 _Mona looks at them confused._

 ** _"You two know that kid? He looks kinda weird."_**

 _Fox must have felt something since he took a defensive stance as we approached them._

 _"For something that small, he has a strangely fierce stare, there's something wrong with him."_

 _Crow rubs his chin with that analytical detective tone he gets whenever explaining anything. It's super smug._

 _"I've actually seen that boy before... I saw him practically glued to Sae-san the other day. Why would such a child have a presence in her Palace?"_

 _Noir remained silent while Queen kept a strange gaze ahead._

 _"He's... A unique kid. This must be due to last night when Sis and Karol met. She must see him as something trustworthy... Or as a tool."_

 _Panther rubbed her arm as she also readies herself. I can tell she was getting tense by her tone._

 _"L-Last night? So they only just met? He's kind of creepy just glaring at us like that."_

 _I take a quick look at him and notice something funny._

 _"He kinda looks like Queen when we're fightin'."_

 _I shoulda kept my mouth shut cause she glared at me with the same face he had._

 _"What is that supposed to mean exactly?"_

 _Crow chuckled and came between us to take Joker's side._

 _"You're proving Skull's point. We shouldn't keep Sae-san waiting."_

 _We stop a safe distance from the two. Shadow Sae grew this weird grin as she pushed Karol ahead._

 ** _"I found this interesting brat just outside of my casino wandering around. At first I thought he was like you Thieves, but he's proven to be rather useful, so useful that I'm placing a big bet on him."_**

 _Mona eyes grew wide._

 ** _"Outside wandering? Wait a minute... But that's impossible! Shadows aren't supposed to be able to interact with another's Palace! A-At least I've never seen it happen."_**

 _Oracle was as shocked as she adjusted her goggles while scanning Karol._

 _"A-A Shadow in someone else's Palace?! I thought he was a cognition at first but this is something else!"_

 _Karol put a hand in a familiar bag. I pointed at it and shouted._

 _"Yo there's that bag again! What's with that thing showing up everywhere?!"_

 _I shouted again at the sight of an oversized blade that was bigger than the bag and himself being taken out. He started talking then._

 ** _"I don't know who you guys are, but I owe her, so I'm gonna thrash you!"_**

 _With that he lunged at us. Swinging that thing way too damn fast. Narrowly, we dodged it by splitting up, but looking back now that was a bad idea. He came for me first and knocked my steel pipe out of my hand as I barely blocked another swing of his huge sword. Karol didn't swing it at me again, but that's cause he had pulled me down by my jabot, bringing me down for a headbutt that dazed me. Just as the others come to help me, his grasp remained tight, so he threw me around to get space between them and himself before tossing me into the elevator._

 _I hit the damn thing so hard I bend the doors and crack the glass. I hate to say it but I was practically out of the fight after that until the end. Not cause I was too tired or injured or anything; Karol just kept throwing each of us my way. I think he was trying to kick us out._

 _Joker went after him once I was out of the way with a stylish leap. Karol dropped his weapon and snatched Joker by his knife hand as he fell. He began to slam Joker against the ground a couple of times like a rag doll before he threw him at me... Which further dented the door behind us as the glass broke completely. Joker got up pretty quick and even helped me up. Unfortunately, we had more human projectiles fired at us._

 _Panther managed to ensnare Karol with her whip by his arm from behind. Fox held the edge of his katana just under his chin on his throat._

 _"Concede. You're outnumbered and outmatched."_

 _The kid must be nuts in reality or something because he leans into Panther's pull to catch her off guard, which works since she must've been using all her strength, he quickly bites down on the blade before yanking Panther off her feet with a swing of his arm. Sending her flying into Fox. Both of them rocketed towards me. Joker managed to roll out of the way While I got crushed under the two._

 _Queen was with Noir; Karol cut off from his weapon as the two stood between them._

 _"Crow! Now!"_

 _Crow from the side fired his blaster. It's like a toy gun but it somehow shot actual freakin' laser beams! He hit Karol in the leg which causes him to stumble._

 _"Mona! You're next!"_

 _Mona summoned his Persona, the power within us and allows us to be Phantom Thieves, and used his dumb boxing glove move._

 _" Miracle Punch!"_

 _Thanks to Crow's shot it hits and knocks the brat on his ass. Queen signals for a hold up; all of us surround him with our guns aimed. Karol snarled at us... Or, that's what I think he was doing? He actually started to quake and tremble. Did I say snarl? I meant whine._

 ** _"Wh-What're you bastards waiting for! I'll take you all on at once! C'mon shitheads!"_**

 _Noir shakes her head with a hurt tone._

 _"I didn't think you would have a Shadow at all... But we'll give you what you ask for!"_

 _We all rushed him in an All Out Attack. Even though he thrashed some of us, I felt bad, it was clear he was done after our assault. We all knocked him into the air and by Shadow Sae's feet. Crow flourished his gun with a spin._

 _"Your new employee is quite daunting. Unfortunately he is no match for us."_

 ** _"..."_**

 _She raised a foot and brought it down to grind her heel on Karol's head._

 ** _"I'll say. What a worthless brat. I had higher expectations."_**

 ** _"A-Agh...!"_**

 ** _"To think you had the gall to lose this one. Good thing I decided on a low risk bet."_**

 ** _"Wa-Wait! I can still fight!"_**

 _He forced himself up as Shadow Sae stepped away with a pleased expression._

 ** _"Is that so? Don't disappoint me. I've no use for a useless parasite."_**

 ** _"Useless... Dammit I'm-I'm not useless!"_**

 _He faces us with this wild look in his eyes. He sounded as desperate as we are. Panther noticed his weapon and lashes her whip at it._

 _"Don't think you'll be using th-! *Whoa...!"*_

 _I don't know what was going through that hollow head of hers when she did that or what was she expecting. Of course it was too heavy for her, and her going for it only made the kid dive for it faster, snatching it and her off the ground as he held it high to swing around. Panther shrieked until he brought her down on a table nearby. Interrupting a game a bunch of cognitions were playing._

 _Joker then shouted._

 _"Everyone! Elemental Assualt! Panther, bring the fire!"_

 _She sat up with stars over her head but nodded._

 _"Y-Yeah! Dance Carmen!"_

 _Tearing off her mask, Panther brought out her Persona and sent a trail of flame to Karol through her whip, bursting into a big fiery explosion. His giant sword took most the force but some of the fire managed to burn his scarf. Mona grinned at that._

 _"Target's lit! Zoro, show your might!"_

 _Mona's Persona flourished it's blade sending a powerful gale around Karol that hit him hard and turned the small scarf fire to a sound explosion. The kid is sent airborne, and lands atop a frozen tree created by Yusuke._

 _" Goemon! Strike!"_

 _It cracked and popped sending him my way. Frost all over his body but he was still ready to fight. It was my turn for payback._

 _" Blow him away, Captain Kidd!"_

 _Ripping off my skull mask, my Persona has this super cool cannon for a hand that fires all kind of stuff, like powerful lightning bolts that struck Karol. His sword must have been high with conductivity cause that's where most of the lightning went. Good thing he was still holding it then._

 _Karol fell to the ground. He just stood up after all that; Karol hit the the ground with the sword and sent debris at us. Surprisingly that almost worked. While I and most of the others got hit by the airborne rocks, Joker dove for Noir and threw them both out of the way. Karol locked onto them with a lunge. Noir was quicker on the draw as she already took her mask off._

 _" Milady!"_

 _Karol froze in place with this intense look on his face. Eyes flashed strange colors as he stumbles back. That's a psychokinetic attack for you. Queen came for the follow up. She has the second coolest Persona since it's a motorbike. She drove right for him and knocked him away. She then extended a hand as she shouted._

 _" Charge, Johana!"_

 _Her fist closed, her nuclear power combusted at Karol's location and dunked him into the ground, he even bounced a little with a tumble. He tried to stand up again. I gotta give the kid's Shadow this, it's tenacious, which makes me wonder about him. However, Karol looked up to see Joker and Crow side by side looking down at him, each with their Persona already summoned._

 _" Ravage him, Arsene."_

 _" Take him down, Robin Hood."_

 _Holy and Cursed powers act as the final launcher that sent Karol flying towards Shadow Sae. The lady just leaned to the side and watched him fly into the wall as he gets embedded into it._

 _ **"... Hmph. Useless. A bet is a bet. I'll give you a generous sum of chips as a reward. Not that it will matter."**_

 _She snaps her fingers before we're blinded by a flash of light. The two vanished before our eyes. She really likes that trick. Oracle holds up the card with a small whistle._

 _"Guys, she wasn't bluffing. We just got a deposit of fifty thousand chips! What do we do?"_

 _Joker looked us over._

 _"How are we doing, firstly?"_

 _I was aching badly all over. Real badly. Still, we just got in so there was no way I could hold everyone back, and Panther must have felt the same. I rolled my shoulders as she flashed a smile._

 _"I'm still good to go!"_

 _"I-I'm feeling good enough to continue!"_

 _Crow shook his head._

 _"I'm not. Something is wrong here. Something Queen and Noir aren't telling us. Care to explain, you two?"_

 _Fox looked down at his blade with a sigh._

 _"It's damaged beyond repair. He broke just with his bite... I must agree with Crow that an explanation is necessary. A Shadow is strong and the Metaverse allows for nonsensical things, but he didn't change like all the others, nor did he really seem distorted."_

 _Queen and Noir looked at each other with this growing anxious faces before Noir blurted out._

 _"He's from another world!"_

 _"Haru...!"_

 _"The creatures that we've been experiencing lately. Not too long ago, Queen and I encountered them ourselves, Karol was the one who managed to put an stop them. He's small and rash, but a good boy, I don't know why he would have a Palace!"_

 _Oracle spoke up then._

 _"Speaking from experience, a Shadow doesn't mean that he's bad Noir, but his desires must be distorted. Still the fact that it's his Shadow and not a cognition? Mona, you're our Metaverse expert, ideas?"_

 _Mona folded his arms. I never understood how since they're so small._

 _"This is different from what we see with Shadows in Mementos. It's rare to get a double, let alone a couple, had this Karol kid been close to Sae for years it would make sense. Everything about this cries foul."_

 _Queen lets out a shakey breath._

 _"Karol came home with Sis late last night. Apparently he's a monster hunter just as Noir said. I've even seen him kill one before my eyes."_

 _Not even I can believe something like this. I wasn't alone since Oracle agreed with me._

 _"For real?! He was just barely bigger than Mona!"_

 _"Yeah! His Shadow may be strong, but stuff like that isn't real, or at least it shouldn't be..."_

 _Panther frowned and huffed loudly. I think her fatigue was catching up._

 _"Uh, I don't know about you two, but as the one who was thrown through an entire table I think it's safe to say the kid is strong at the very least."_

 _"I was nearly thrown through the elevator! I don't wanna hear that! Glass and metal is way harder than wood."_

 _Joker turned from us and started to walk away._

 _"We'll deal with this later. We still need to find out how to get to the manager's floor."_

 _Crow nodded as he followed after him._

 _"He's right. What matters first and foremost is stealing Sae-san's Treasure."_

 _No one argued against that. We all proceeded to the chip desk to see what games we would have to play next. We were so close to the Treasure. Only two games remained. A maze and a battle arena. Seeing everyone had their fill of fighting alreadt we voted on the maze. Course things got weirder after that._

 _We entered the entrance lobby for the maze and were met with this condescending Shadow. The usual passive aggressive dialogue that promises fair game in a rigged gambling house. Strangely we didn't have to fight him yet. He must have thought we would be lost forever in the maze. He let us pass in and soon we found ourselves in this pitch blackness. Joker immediately spoke then._

 _"Everyone hold another's hand right now. We'll trace along the walls. The last thing we need to do is split up."_

 _Everyone snatched a hand before we did a roll call. Everyone was accounted for and we moved on. At times like these it becomes a frightening reminder that we'd be lost without Joker. I don't know how to explain it, but it's like he always knows what to do, no matter how abrupt or sudden a complicated problem arises. Cognitions and Enemies passed us by, the darkness giving us perfect cover, but we hit a block all too soon, a locked door which lead to a dead end._

 _"Joker! Look!"_

 _Crow is an ace detective, so him having a flashlight made too much sense, though I think he could feel all of us glaring at him at the time._

 _"I understand it's a bit odd to just now bring this item out, but considering no one else has, it may have been against the rules."_

 _Queen folded her arms at him._

 _"So we're cheating again?"_

 _"Cheating is only when you are caught. Look. I felt a draft, lo and behold, a ventilation shaft just big enough for us to fit in."_

 _"Ah! Why didn't I notice that? I was ahead of you...!"_

 _He put the flashlight away as Joker took lead and entered first._

 _"The draft wasn't exactly a strong gale. It comes with my line of work to have an acute sense for these things."_

 _Time after time these two have competed against each other something fierce. No one's said but like, everyone knew that's what was happening, and Crow was always showing Queen up. Doesn't mean he's better or anything. Plus, he's so smug about it._

 _We got around the door and after using the flashlight, we found an exit on some platforms, easy to get to for Phantom Thieves. We found ourselves at a long hallway with a blockade of large poker cards halfway in... The thing is though is that they were slashed the hell. Like some wild beast tore through the metal and ripped it's way through. Honestly it made things easier for us since we ran right through._

 _Noir looked at it on the way with a confused face._

 _"What manner of beast did this? C-Could it have been a Shadowor even Karol?"_

 _Mona shook his head._

 _"I don't know the kid but I doubt he could do this much damage. Just look at all the cuts. Even if he can smash through a blockade, it would've been one big opening, not a series of tears."_

 _Yusuke added on to that._

 _"Having fought the boy, I can agree with Mona's deduction, the damage done here is by some unhinged thing."_

 _Oracle shut them both down with a loud hiss._

 _"Everyone stop! There's a huge spike in opposing power up ahead! It's insane! I've never seen readings like this before...! No way around it too!"_

 _Queen grew wary and drew close to Oracle._

 _"What are our odds against it...? Can we fight?"_

 _"If everyone teams up like last time, our energy output should outmatch whatever is up, but we better hope it goes as smooth as last time."_

 _Me and Panther gulped at that._

 _"Last time was no cake walk, yknow..."_

 _"Why am I the only one remembering being tossed around not too long ago...?"_

 _Mona sighed and gestured to Joker._

 _"Both of you quit whining! C'mon Joker, tell them!"_

 _He rubbed his neck as he looked to the side._

 _"I dunno... Getting slammed repeatedly on the ground did do a number on me."_

 _"Wha-!? Then why are you acting so nonchalantly?!"_

 _Crow held a hand up to signal ahead. All of us halting on the spot as we became a witness to some freaky shit._

 _"I think we are in for only more surprises..."_

 _A figure in black with two dangerous shortswords in his hands hacked a number of Shadows. The gruesome part wasn't that he was cutting them apart, but that he was sewing them together, a final slash and they all melded into one. The figure looked over to us with this strange leer._

 _"Huh? Who the hell are you guys...? You're not from this place cause you look too different."_

 _Everyone noticed something instantly then. This freak had a mask like ours on. A black mask. I step ahead ready to face whatever crap this creep threw at us._

 _"Hey! You the one causing the mental shutdowns!?"_

 _"Huh? What's the pirate get up, kid. You trying to get sent to a watery grave? You're on land dumbass."_

 _"Shut up! You're about to get it!"_

 _The black masked culprit shrugged as the blob of Shadows began to reform behind him. It took the shape of a giant clown monster with a wide round body. A face like a slot machine that spun around as multiple long limbs whipped around with tiny clawed legs like a crab or spider. The black mask walked away from us with a huff as the new Shadow's face landed on a surprised expression._

 _"Kill this thing I'll consider you worth the bloodshed."_

 _The freaky clown blew a powerful gust from it's mouth and knocked us all down. It followed up with a series of lashes from the arms. Noir and Crow managed to dodge a few but the rest of us were beaten to hell. The damn thing hit harder than we could handle. Thankfully, Noir fired her grenade launcher. The explosive impact caused the thing to lean back off of two of the four legs. However, just as Fox and Queen rush to take advantage, the two legs extend like blades. Fox ducks under it while Queen is knocked back trying to block it._

 _I try something gutsy by leaping for one of the extended legs and grabbing on as it recedes. I let go in time just to use the force to launched me past the arms and straight for the head. I swung my pipe hard as I effin' could and broke the thing's whole damn face! The face began to spin again before a sad frown appeared. A torrent of water blew me off of it and back to my friends. Panther pulled me up to my feet._

 _"I'm getting sick of being knocked around!"_

 _"Then don't do something as stupid as that again!"_

 _"Ah shuddap! It worked didn't it!?"_

 _Queen shouted at us both as she aimed her revolver at our target._

 _"Both of you, quiet! We need to take care of those arms while someone else focuses on aiming for the face from a distance!"_

 _Yusuke summoned Goemon and had it sever a couple arms off. Robin Hood fired an arrow that took off some more. Queen fired her revolver, drawing the Shadow's attention from the true snipers, Joker and Mona, the former managed to break one face as the latter broken another as it spun._

 _It shrieked and fell on it's side. This was our chance! Everyone rushed in for the All Out Attack. When we finished the attack it vanished as defeated Shadows tend to. That's when it happened. All of us were recovering from the fight, distracted. We had forgotten about the black masked figure. Before anyone can even get a word in, a sharp pain ran in my side and spread throughout my body. I feel something come out of me as an arm locked around my throat into a choking hold._

* * *

The black mask holds me hostage as my friends shout.

"LET HIM GO!"

He snickers and raises a blade up to my face. My body beginning to feel numb with my throat burning. My vision starts to fade.

 _ **"You kids love to play heroes and thieves! Why don't I make your dreams of delusional grandeur into truth... Starting with this one."**_

Just as I nearly doze off, the pain of the blade running through my right eye, viscously destroying the entire ball. He throws me to the side as everything grew dark... Cold.


	5. The Terror

Breathe in. Breathe out. That's what I'm told to do whenever I start to panic. However all I could do is hyperventilate at the sight of Ryuji's situation. One moment we took down a bizarre enemy but the next moment Ryuji had been taken hostage. No, ambushed. A figure with a black mask gouged out his eye after stabbing him in the back. After throwing him to the side, the figure begins to walk towards us.

"Phantom Thieves... You guys have been making a ruckus. You had my interest, now you have my attention, and I will have your blood!"

His voice is full of twisted glee. His stance and posture were more like a zombie or some deranged loon. Even the air about this guy is dark and heavy. Foreboding with this awful droning from seemingly everywhere. Ann looks to me crying out.

"-cle! Oracle! ORACLE!"

"Huh?!"

"Get in your Persona and get back. See what you can do about Skull! Quick!"

"R-Right...! I'll get right on it! "

My Persona is different from the others. It's not really good in a fight, but it keeps me protected and allows me send aid from afar. Sometimes I can gather the strength to manipulate the cognition of a Palace in our favor. Right now I realize that is my best bet. Necronomicon is a UFO that brings me up with tendrils just under it.

 _ **"I WON'T LET YOU!"**_

The black mask snarls as he swings one of his swords skyward. A series of large red spikes run between me and the others. In one quick motion while we were all distracted the black mask threw his idle blade at me.

"AIIIEEEEE!"

I... I've never had a stab wound before. This pain is frightening and my breath falls short as I grab the handle of the blade. I try to pull it out but it's stuck in deep. I can barely move since it is stuck in my side. I start to feel sick and cough up blood while the masked maniac charges at the others.

 _ **"With her soon to be out of the picture I'll kill you all one by one! Don't make this boring for me!"**_

Everyone summons their Personas at once to attack. With either calculated movements or reckless abandon, the figure somehow managed to evade everything, advancing on us all until he sends another spiky wall towards us. He bounced from the ground and up to me just to pull out his weapon. My Persona vanishes after that letting me hit the floor. It all became blurry but I can make most of it out. Black mask here started fighting us all at once. Ann's whip can't catch him and Yusuke self made frozen katanas are diced apart. Makoto goes in for close quarters, but this psycho's handles on his knives are like brass knuckles, so he uses those to counter each and every blow Makoto throws at him. In fact she coughs up a small spurt of blood after a few body blows. He kicks her knee and she falls down. He raises his hand but Joker and Akechi stop him. Their blades meet his and keep him locked there. Haru throws her heavy axe with all her might in a panic. It lodges into his chest forcing him to lean back. Makoto takes this chance and uppercut the guy, and he just stands there tanking the hits, giggling.

 _ **"You kids work nice together... But you're still too weak! Still just KIDS!"**_

He pushed Joker and Akechi back with... Well it looked like a push but they practically flew away. Makoto swings for his jaw but he ducks under it, sending a swing of his own, he nearly guts Makoto on the spot... I only say nearly because she manages to hold her intestines in with her hand over the wound. Makoto reacts the same as I am now being wounded fatally. He grabs her by the hair and knees her mouth before throwing her with a spin. Haru can't move in time to dodge and stays down with Makoto. Ann shouts angrily.

"Mona! Garu! Now!"

Mona summons Zoro to send a violent wind as Ann uses Carmen to spew a fiery tornado, the two attacks create a flaming hurricane, that the black mask leaps into before slicing it in half. He follows through his leap with kick to Mona's huge head. He continues with an upward slash to Ann's chest, to which she thankfully leans back from due to her own stumbling, but he takes advantage of this by kicking her in the waist. Yusuke goes in with another ice katana, but the black mask rolls under the swing and seizes his tail, yeah his costume and Ann's both have tails. The man yanks Yusuke into an elbow from behind. The lunatic shoots a leg behind Yusuke's knee before standing up and grabbing his head as my friend leans back in pain. He throws him into a couch and breaks it with him.

"NO!"

I won't allow this to happen! I lost my mother to the bad guys... I won't let them take my friends next! Never again! My power allows me to do things no one else can and hack into the cognition of the Metaverse! Even if I have to use all my reserves! I summon Necronomicon with the area flashing white. When all fine down, the masked freak is away from us and all of us are together again. I couldn't find the strength or will to keep fighting. Terrified and profusely bleeding as I fall into a pair of arms that catch me. Akechi.

 _"Samecarm!"_

Robin Hood shoots out of him with a radiant light emanating off of him. My wound closes and he sets me to my feet.

"Status report, Oracle."

Gathering my thoughts after such a sudden experience makes that difficult. That and something causing my stomach to tighten before I vomit involuntarily on him.

"S-Sorry... Great pain. Legs wobbly. Heart sinking into stomach. Hard to breathe! He must have some kind of poison on the edge of the blades..."

Akechi looks like he's about to puke too. Somehow, he manages this weird smile and pulls me behind him as everyone else rush to our side.

"Just alive enough for an analysis. Stay behind us. We'll get a cure from him one way or another."

I nod and hide behind him while the black mask sneers. He brings the sword wet with my blood up to his mouth and takes a lick.

 _ **"Poison? Something like that. Not on my blade though. You kids are smart so you'll figure it out! If not... You'll die before you bleed out."**_

Ann lashes her whip to the side visibly quaking with rage as she starts to advance ahead of everyone.

"You're going to pay hell for this you shit bag!"

Makoto pulls her back before she can get to her fourth step. She forces herself to put Ann in an arm hold so she can pull her back.

"I-I want to avenge Skull too but we can't just rush him! Think about what just happened with Oracle!"

"I am...! He can't get away with this!"

"He won't!"

Everyone is tense. Yusuke without a weapon tries to help Makoto in restraining Ann. Haru is in shock with her hands over her mouth. Akechi stands his ground as I leave his side for Joker's, who's got one arm around me, the other holds up his gun at our assailant. The freakish man stared us all down until Mona shouted.

 _"Gu-Guys! The security level! It's at it's peak!"_

Before any of us can react, the black mask snarls loudly with a fit, even throwing his head around in a childish tantrum. It actually made him creepier.

 ** _"NO! Dammit! Dammit! Dammit! I was having fun! You can have your pirate boy! I'll come for the other eye later. I have to find that kid! I KNOW he's here!"_**

We all jump as Shadows start appearing around us. We would have been surrounded us in an instant if the black mask hadn't ripped them to shreds. He became as a blur and ran through them like he lived for it. He stopped in front of us but turns to walk away. Makoto stops him by shouting out with her gun trained on him.

"You're talking about Karol, aren't you? You leave him out of this! What are you even trying to do!?"

He didn't turn around. In fact he just keeps walking to the door before kicking it off the hinges.

 _ **"I am going to die. It's what happens to us all at the end. I'm looking for my death one way or another. That brat holds the key to mine."**_

The black mask turns his head to us. The look in his eye. The only thing we could really see. It steals my breath away and causes my heart to stop. I grow cold and numb until he looks away. It felt like a hand gripped my heart the entire time. Sure enough, Shadows begin popping in from behind us in droves.

"Everyone! Get out of here now!"

Joker shouts. Akechi steps out from the group with his Persona drawn.

"I'll draw their attention and make my way out later. There's too many on our tail so allow me to thin their numbers."

Makoto snaps at him.

"Are you insane!? There's too many!"

Instead of arguing with her Akechi leaps ahead and began slaying Shadows left and right. Yusuke helps Ann carry Ryuji and shouts at at us.

"It may be unwise but considering we have a member with an injury beyond our spells, we're slowed to a considerable degree!"

"Less talking more running!"

Joker takes Makoto by the arm. Like always, he can get through to most of us without saying much, and it's that skill of his that let us get away from danger today...

* * *

Walking down the stairs of the courthouse I can not help but sigh in annoyance at the child holding my hand tightly. Karol has a lot of explaining to do. We exit the building and quickly make our way to the nearest restaurant. He hasn't eaten since breakfast apparently and it's already sundown. As we sit down at our assigned table I notice something immediately.

"You're wearing new clothes? Where did get those from?"

"Makoto's friend, Haru, she picked it out for me. I wanted to go with something darker though."

Okumura? They go to the same school and are in the same year. It isn't out of the question they would be familiar with each other.

"She made a good call then. You look better in bright colors. You didn't pay for that did you?"

"I-I wanted to... But I did as you said and kept our money a secret."

"Good. Remember, your money is my money. Now why were you wandering around inside the courthouse?"

"Ma-Makoto and her study group were-."

He cut himself off rather abruptly. Looking around with few glances my way while playing with his hands.

"They were studying law, so one of her friends brought her in, and I wanted to see you again..."

Something wasn't right. I could tell. However, I received a text from her earlier this afternoon. I even saw them just before the case. Our waiter comes and something occurs to me. Karol can't read. Or rather, he can't read kanji and hiragana, even romaji gives him trouble. I have to read out our orders for us both. Just annoying. The employee leaves us and we continue our conversation.

"You weren't with them though. Only your bag. Did you get lost?"

Karol nods quickly with a boost in confidence.

"I went to the bathroom and missed the whole thing! Nobody told me which room you were in and I almost missed the group on the way out! I decided to stay behind just to see you myself."

Another crack in his story. This was starting to get tedious.

"They left soon as I saw them though. I confirmed it with the bailiff. Karol, what aren't you telling me?"

"...!? I-I guess I should be more honest with you, huh? Sorry."

He pats his bag with this tired sigh like he's had to explain this before.

"So, last night when you two were asleep, I was having some issues sleeping myself. So I started digging and organizing things in my bag. Soon enough I'm drowsy before I pass out on the spot. When I wake up, I'm inside my bag, something I really never thought about doing before."

"... W-Wait... You didn't think you could fit yourself in that thing?"

"It sounds so dumb! Who would try hiding in some bag?! I'm not some kid living all childishly, yknow!"

Our waiter comes with our plates and places them on the table. Immediately Karol's eyes sparkle at the sight of his food.

"Aw, sweet! I gotta save room for desert!"

"Weren't you just saying you're no child?"

"I-! W-We-Well...!"

I pinch the bridge of my nose holding back my annoyance. This kid could wrack my nerves to the end but something about him just kept me from snapping.

"So you awoke inside your bag. Then what?"

His mouth is full when he looks back up at me and starts to talk. I am quick to stop him as I glare at him.

"Don't you dare talk like that! Chew, swallow, then speak properly."

With a spooked expression he follows my instructions.

"R-Right. So, I wake up basically in a heap of my stuff, and our money. I can just barely hear outside and decide to peek around. I'm in a classroom right under Makoto's desk! So, quietly, I make myself known. I just poked my hand out to get her attention and we managed to keep me hidden all the way to the end school.

He begins eating again; a memory jogs in my head as I watch him.

"I think I can take it from here. At some point a monster attacked Shujin, correct?"

Karol coughs some before drinking his juice and swallowing his food again.

"Ye-Yeah! How did you...?"

"That giant bird flew at high speeds into a building over traffic and vanished without a trace. A small figure was seen on top of it with a schoolgirl being carried away by a talon. What happened?"

"... I-It was a hawk. Not to be mistaken for the normal ones, it's an Lumireian thing, monsters are basically animals for us. It appeared over the roof and snatched me and Makoto up."

"What?!"

"I-I tried to lose her when going up there but she's way faster than I thought!"

"Shhh!"

I have to calm us both down. People were beginning to stare. Thankfully no one heard or suspected us from what I can tell. I motion for him to continue.

"I killed it, but I messed up my last spare of good clothing, so she and her friend took me shopping and the rest is history."

"I see... Okumura-san was this friend, yes?"

"Uh-huh."

"Would she have been the one riding a horned horse through Central Street? The one you were dangling off of by a wooden mallet?"

"How do you-?"

I hold up my cellphone and place it before him. A news article on screen with a quick video taken by a bystander as the "unicorn" rushes past the crowd. He gulps at the sight as I take it back.

"You're fortunate that in all this footage you're hard to make out. Nothing more than a blur really, plus your change of attire, real lucky... Okumura-san's face is buried into the thick fur so no one should bother her about this."

"I'll say... Anyone can just do that now? Record moments in the past? This world is so far ahead sometimes..."

"World? I thought you were from another country."

He grows uncomfortably silent after that. Perhaps I should switch up my tactics. I hold his hand with mine and give him an earnest face.

"Karol. You should be able to trust me at least. You've nothing to lose since I'll believe you."

"... I can't say... The problem isn't that you won't believe me."

"Then what is the problem?"

He keeps quiet. Part of me wants to put the foot down, grab him by his bandana and shake the answer out of him, but that would be embarrassing to do in public. No I have to play good cop for now. It is not to hard to do with a child anyhow. I notice the mess on his face and struck with an idea. It's annoying but I'll be able to earn his full trust if I act like I'm opening up first. I take a napkin and wipe his face to his own surprise.

"Take care of yourself. People will treat you like a child even when you grow up if you continue to act like this."

"Y-Yeah... Sae? Would you throw me in jail?"

"That's out of nowhere. Why? Do you think I should?"

"No! Maybe? I don't know... While wandering around, I heard of a bunch of laws and stuff, I'm just worried I'll break one and get locked up."

"Did that happen in... What did you call it? Terca Lumireis?"

"No, I never got put into prison."

"Then keep that up and you've nothing to worry about. Just be careful where and how you do your hunts."

"O-Okay! I'll try and get to less crowded areas!"

Looks like I made my goal. I'm going to start the real interrogation here.

"That's good to hear. Karol? Why don't you tell me about your home? Maybe it can help us both understand your situation."

"... I... I guess I can answer the simple stuff."

Where do I start? Something simple should be easy. I'll just need to make it count. Looking down at the menu I remember how he can't read.

"You lost your parents when you were younger, right? I also lost my parents when Makoto and I were just girls."

An empathetic response resonates better than a sympathetic one, and it showed with Karol, especially since he became more attentive. I continue further with my question.

"In Terca Lumireis, did you receive a proper education? You can be quite clever at times and speak proper Japanese. However, you can't read anything on this menu. Not even the signs around us?"

Karol rests his head in a hand with a grumble.

"I'm not dumb... There's a school, but after you're old enough to make your own decision, you get to choose to keep going or join a guild. Find your life's calling and all that."

This guild businesd sounds like a worker's union. What bothers me is that Karol is far too young to make his own decisions still.

"And you're old enough...?"

"Actually, I'm a year older than the limit, I wasn't sure what to do at first... Then I decided school wasn't for me and moved on!"

Hearing that only made his answer worse for me. In a way, he's a drop out, yet at the same time it sounds as if there's no graduation for anyone who stays long enough. This isn't what mattered though.

"But you can read and write; basic math and even proper ethics. You know these things, yes?"

"Uh-huh. Lumireian is different I guess so, here."

He takes a napkin from the table and pulls a pen from his bag before writing a series of symbols down. It was too detailed to be chicken scratch, yet it held this archaic vibe, like a lost language.

"This is my name. I'm known for having a rather pretty handwriting!~"

"I... I never would have guessed. The symbols here are so wide and sharp. Nothing like what we have in Japan... I would dare say nothing like that in the modern world."

"Right. This world doesn't have monsters, energy without blastia, it really makes me feel like an alien..."

"You are. Technically speaking."

I close my eyes and start to think on more questions. I'm interrupted by the waiter to pay the bill. I do so out if my own pocket before Karol and I leave for home. It's gotten dark. I can't believe I have wasted an entire day...

"I'm only dropping you off. I have a lot of work to do so you'll be by yourself until Makoto gets home. I wasted too much time today so I think I'll be staying at my office."

"D-Don't you think you're working a bit much...?"

"You've only known me for a day and a half. Don't lecture me when you get to have the freedom of doing as you please."

"Sae, I'm just saying-!"

Karol cuts himself off as his tablet began sounding off in his bag. He pulls it out and gasps before jumping out of his chair. I reach out for him and snatch him by the bandana but he pulls me along instead. He stops just to take my hand before running again. I never will get accustomed to his true strength.

"K-Karol?!"

"I'm sorry...! I have to get us far away! We need to get to somewhere empty, _fast."_

"What are you...?!"

This is embarrassing. Being guided and dragged around by a child who barely stands above my waist. I look around hastily trying to pull back... That is of course until I look in the direction of where Karol looks. My eyes meet with what has him like this. A wall melting into this swirling inky substance. A leg sticks out seemingly from nowhere. The wall protrudes like a bubble before a large wolf bursts out of it. Two more follow it. Then three more before the largest one comes out with a horn brimming with electricity. They start snarling and snapping at people in the street. Karol releases me after shoving me away.

"You go! I'm gonna attract their attention!"

"What!? Those things?! How?"

He starts digging into his bag and takes out a black bottle. He opens it and begins to pour a dark liquid on himself. It's translucent to a degree seeing as it vanishes after he applies it to himself. Whatever is in that substance did the trick. The wolves all turn to him with dilating pupils. The leader of the pack howls with lightning sparks shooting off the horn. Karol gasps before he dives to the side, narrowly dodging a lightning bolt that stabs the ground, the otherworldly force knocks us off our feet. I push myself off the ground just in time to see Karol running down the subway entrance with the pack not too far behind. I should leave this to him. Lightning can't strike him from underground and he's covered himself in monster bait. Surely he knows what he's doing.

Unfortunately I can't stop myself from running after him.

"Annoying brat...! You can't die on me now."

It's hard to give chase when running against the flood of people trying to leave the subway tunnels. I manage to fight my way through to get to the stairs. A number of people, police and stragglers recording on their phones, I run up to one.

"Excuse me! There were wolves chasing a child! Which way did they go?!"

"Down the train tunnel! We tried to stop him but he just kept going! He's gonna get hit by a train..."

That's not good. This is not good. I am pacing around biting my nails. What do I do? What should I do? What can I do?!

"Dammit...! Dammit! Dammit! DAMMIT!"

I jump down onto the rails disregarding the protest. Trains are busy in Japan. Constantly going and stopping. This is suicide and I know better than to just chase someone else down a dead man's path. Yet here I am. I take out a pocket light I keep for emergencies. It isn't long until I find a body of one of the wolves. It's in the middle of it's decay, no viscera or gore, a clean vanish like always with a handful of yen remaining. I continue on and find three more yen piles. That leaves three wolves and Karol left. I can tell I'm getting close as the sounds of a fight draw near. I hear Karol grunts and shouts with the whoosh of a large object moving at fast speeds. Two thirds, couple of whacks, eventually a squelch. This causes my heart to race and my legs to move faster. Finally, I come to the scene I dread to see, my boy slams a wolf into the wall with his hammer as another tears at his leg. His clothes torn with claw and bite marks on his arms and body. Among the chaos my eyes notice something, scars and old wounds, poor stitch work along with the new wounds. Before I can do anything a blue glow emanates from one end of the tunnel before a lightning bolt flies into Karol's chest. For a moment, I can see the life in him flicker out like a short fuse, knocked off his feet as the wolf attached to his leg lets go with a pained yelp.

"Karol!"

My voice is drowned out by the oncoming train. Karol stays on the rails, body smoking with his mouth open and eyes rolled to the back of his head. The pack leader readies another bolt of lightning from it's horn. It's that night at the cemetery all over again. Just like that time, I take a dive for Karol, taking him in my arms and out of the way of lightning. The bolt fired strikes the train with no effect, the train however rams into the wolf, making a disgusting spray of gore onto both of us. It turns to gas and vanishes again with the train passing us by. If either Karol or myself were any bigger we would have been taken away as well. It finally passes us and the body completely vanishes, leaving a huge sum of yen, a million at least. For once though, my concern lies elsewhere in Karol, he hasn't moved at all.

"... Karol? Karol! Wake up!"

I shake and even slap him before putting my head to his chest. Weak thumps and soft breathing. I pick him up and carry him out of the tunnel. We nearly get hit again but manage to hug the wall again. He wakes up after the second train passes.

"Sae...?"

"Karol, hush. You're okay now."

"My bag... Wh-Where's my bag...?"

"On my shoulder, but don't worry about the money, I'm going to get you to the hospital."

"No! No place like... Last time I was in a hospital they threw me out. Bleeding and a nice guy came in to get me treated before they kicked us both out. That was about two nights before I met you. Sae, please just hand me my bag... After we get out of this tunnel."

A homeless man most likely. I can't blame the doctors and yet it fills me with indignation to hear this. A sense of injustice... Justice... Now is not the time for distracting thoughts. Even then the bills, the paperwork, just thinking about the questions that would be asked about him would be annoying. Rolling my eyes I see the subway stop with police pushing back civilians. We're still out of sight.

"... Can you at least tell me what you plan on doing?"

"I have items that can heal me fast. Gels. Just reach in and pull out when you feel something squishy."

"Karol you can't be serious... No, it sounds so ridiculous that it HAS to be true."

Having to dig through his bag while holding him is... Squishy. Soft and malleable. In my hands I can feel some form of gelatin and pull out a yellow... Flan? It's so simple yet hard to describe. Like a large drop of honey but with a lemony scent. Karol reaches for it and I hand it to him. He eats it bite by bite, which for him was only two, and like when he healed me his bruises nearly vanish. Unfortunately the bites and lacerations from the claws stay open... It's good enough for me.

"Karol what was that?"

His face scrunches up before he sticks out his tongue now scented with lemon.

"A gel. In Terca Lumireis you can find these anywhere. They heal basic wounds and stuff through accelerating certain body functions. Now that I'm here I have to use even the apple gels in emergency only."

"So when is an emergency... Karol?"

My eyes lock with his before moving down to a stitched wound on his chest. He looks away from me huffing an annoyed sigh. I'm the one who should be doing that.

"I told you... Couldn't get into any hospitals. I did what I could, okay? I-I just... I just need a friend."

"You need an ally-"

"No, allies have a common interest, I need someone I can trust. I need a friend."

"... You know, when you're dying, you tend to act far more mature. Why can't you be like this most of the time?"

"I dunno... Can we go home now?"

"We still need to take you to the hospital. For a check up, in and out, okay?"

Karol stares at me before finally conceding with a nod. I smile at him again pulling him close.

"You should be this compliant more often as well."

"... Yes ma'am."

It isn't long once we check him in. It took longer than I liked, about fifteen minutes, but they let him out without any trouble. He's even smiling once he sees me again. After everything's that's happened, what could and maybe should have happened, I'm just relieved to see him alive. There lies the problem. I haven't felt relief in awhile. I haven't felt positive in awhile. This child has honestly brought me stress and danger even great suspiscion... Yet he somehow managed a smile from me. It must be the gratitude or admiration for his actions, maybe a sense of responsibility as an adult to a child, I don't know. I do know that as he hugs me right now he's warm. We're safe.

"WE NEED A DOCTOR!"

A girl shouts behind me. I turn around to another shocking surprise. Makoto, and the kids she brought to the court hearing all beat to Hell, carry the blonde boy in looking like a corpse.


	6. The Set Up

Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God! Think Makoto! You have to think of something quick! Karol, who looks like a mess again, AND Sis!? Why is she even here? I am running around in my own head since I answered that question already! I can't stall for any time as she walks up to us.

"What happened to you all?! You look like you were in a street fight! What did you do to your face!?"

"I... Uh... Sis...!"

Joker speaks for me. His tone is desperate, as we all are, yet still brimming with that familiar confidence.

"Car accident. Details don't matter right now. Ryuji does! We need a doctor not a prosecutor."

"! Of course. He's bleeding all over."

It is ridiculous. During our escape, Morgana, Ann and myself used up whatever strength we had to heal ourselves... But Ryuji's wound kept opening up. His eye had it the worst, a violent gash over it, as well as the destruction of the ball. I want to gag even when thinking about it. In fact, my stomach wound, Futaba, the three of us keel over in agony. Joker lifts Futaba up in his arms while Ann and Akechi hold up Haru. Karol keeps me from falling with this weird goo in hand.

"Here, eat this!"

"O-Okay...?"

I take a bite out of it, a mix of fruity flavors that all explode in my mouth, with this strange sense of renewed strength within me as I swallow it. My wound hurts as I place a hand over it... But it's closes again. Sae takes me from Karol with a panicked tone.

"A doctor is coming! Just hang on... Karol, don't feed her those!"

"But I already feel better, Sis. Karol? Do you have any more of those?"

He nods and pulls a few more of those things out. They come in quite the variety in color. Everyone had one, except Ryuji. He is unconscious and the doctors arrive when we got to him. I am admitted with Futaba since we had bloodstained clothes. As we are guided away, I can hear Sae and Karol arguing. It is hard to hear them as I am out in a gurney. I am so sleepy now...

I wake up in a hospital bed in a cold sweat. My head aching and body sore. Even so, I get out of bed and walk around, finding Futaba in a bed next to mine. She's asleep but uncomfortable. I flinch as the scene flashes back into my head. A fiery wall of spikes. The blade flying too fast in the air to be stopped as it plunged into her. Even the way he pulled it out. We have faced terrible foes before, but that man in the black mask, he is a true monster. He had to be a Persona User. He didn't even bother with a gun. He stuck to his hands and blades. Not even summoning his power... Treated us like children.

My fist start to clench tight. I can not stand to know how outmatched we are to someone like that. Someone so twisted. Haru's axe should have ended it but he fought through it. Well. It does not matter. I am ripped from my thoughts with the door opening. Everyone save for Ryuji and Ann comes in. Haru hovers over me at once.

"Mako-chan! You should be resting! Is your stomach still... Opening?"

"I'm fine. Whatever Karol gave us did the trick. No stitches here."

Yusuke nods with his default blank expression.

"Bruises are gone as well. Futaba must be exhausted after our ordeal."

Joker silently walks to Futaba's side and holds her hand, her face eases from tense to peaceful. Those two have been pretty close since she joined. He releases a breath he must have been holding for sometime. Akechi stands by Sae. They seem to be whispering to one another before leaving the room. It's then I notice we have someone else that is absent.

"Where's Ann? Is she alright?"

Haru nods.

"Physically speaking. She hasn't left Ryuji's side. I'm starting to get worried for her."

Yusuke shudders with a shaky breath.

"His injuries were greater than what we're used to... Speaking of Ryuji, is he stable?"

Haru tries to maintain her cheery rhythm. However, we can all see it breaking apart in real time.

"Alive! He's... Alive. I heard he had a few close shaves but the doctors managed! I'm so happy no one died... I'm not sure I could handle losing anyone else right now...!"

Morgana pokes his head out from Joker's bag speaking in a hushed whisper.

 _("I'm sorry everyone... There was no way any of us could have prepared for what happened back there!")_

Joker shakes his head and speaks up. Rare since he usually replies.

"We can't give up now. Makoto, the man in the black mask was talking about Karol, wasn't he?"

"That's the only person he could be talking about. Still... What could he have meant...? The key to his death?"

Yusuke brings a hand to his shoulder with unease in his voice.

"We'll have to ask him personally. Either him or the Shadow. He really is quite different from what his Shadow represents..."

Haru must have hit her last nerve since she shouts abruptly.

"Something isn't right! Someone as small and even sweet as him... How could he have a Shadow of any kind?!"

"Haru, keep your voice down...!"

I shush her with a near hiss and point to the door. Admittedly I felt awful for her but my sister was just outside and we were in no condition to push our luck. Karol is outside too so we would have to be careful.

"We can get to know Karol better soon enough... I just wish I knew what Akechi and Sis are talking about."

* * *

"You were attacked!?"

I could not believe Akechi's words. Then again I can not believe much of anything these days. He nods and further elaborate.

"I told you that truth is stranger than fiction. They were unhinged and had weapons. We managed to flee but they chased us into the street. As you can see, an accident happened, and I take full responsibility."

"Were they suffering of mental shutdowns? Becoming irrationally violent?"

Please. Please please please. Pleeasse let there be a connection to this and the Phantom Thieves...!

"I couldn't help notice that they were incredibly... Off. It isn't out of the question as they were thuggish. I'll make a proper report and case later. I am truly sorry to have your sister involved in this, Sae-san."

Close enough. I do not care how desperate I may seem to anyone, this case is a ticket to either my success or demise, I have to do what must be done.

"... It's not your fault. You were attacked same as her. What are those stains on your coat-?"

Akechi's face pales with a shade of green before abruptly interrupting me.

"I-Irrelevant! The less you know the better. Might I speak with the boy there? You gave him quite a tongue lashing..."

"He's not all that mouthy but he can give as much as he takes. Why do you want to talk to him?"

"I believe... He may know more than we're all letting on. Call it my intuition. With your permission, of course."

I look between them both. Akechi has no clue or context to Karol's true nature. Hell, I don't think I have a grasp on it myself, but he always surpasses expectations.

"Fine. Just remember that he's a child. Oh and be careful of his hands... He's got a lot of fight in him."

"I plan on the diplomatic route."

He sat next to Karol and I gave the two some room and re-entered Makoto and friends hospital room. The atmosphere is sullen and grim. I make my way to Makoto.

"Your stomach... It's not still aching or sore is it? Internal bleeding?"

"The doctor said that my body healed at an accelerated rate never seen before then proceeded to ask me a series of questions I still have no answer to... But I do know it was whatever Karol gave us. What were you two arguing about?"

"Safety... He blamed himself for what happened and wanted to help you all. I told him it was the doctor's job to do that. We went back and forth quite a bit."

The truth is I blamed him for not being with her. Then, he being himself, rather than be mad at me wanted to make things right. For some reason that snapped some... Sense into me. Like I started to see clear for a moment. I tried to intimidate and talk down to him but he kept going. Eventually we tired each of our tongues out and sat in the lobby until we were allowed to see everyone. We hadn't said a word to each other since.

Makoto glances my way and smiles.

"It... It really was my fault mostly. He was with us for a bit but... I told him to go find you. He was pretty clingy and weird. You know, boys."

"Makoto... Is there something you're not telling me? Akechi said you were attacked. Where did you all go?"

"I... I can't say. I'm sorry."

"Makoto! Are you keeping secrets from me too?!"

"Sis-!"

I have had enough of the hiding. The lying. Enough is enough. Things have been going down under since that damn brat showed up. Since these friends started to have an influence on Makoto. Since the Phantom Thieves made themselves known. It feels like a sickness has been festering inside me and I can't stand it anymore!

"That's enough let her go!"

I'm shoved away by that part-timer from LeBlanc. I am about to shout at him but he beats me to it.

"Your sister was just gutted and you come in here shouting like a maniac and shaking her around like a ragdoll!? The hell is wrong with you!"

"I-! ...! I... I...?"

Oh my God... I blacked out... Me. I lost control. How could this have happened? Just how low have I fallen? I can't even find the words to speak to my own sister. I haven't ever seen her cry since father died... My phone starts to ring.

"I have to take this."

I leave the room trying to straighten my hair with my fingers. It's a mess. I'm a mess. I'm being called by my boss again. I notice Akechi and Karol are still talking. I take a few steps away... And quickly hold the phone up to my ear while putting it on silence. I need to hear them. Akechi is the one leading the conversation.

"So it's a deal then? We are in agreement?"

"Only if you promise me you're telling the truth... I'll hide your secret then."

"Good... A secret for a secret. Sae-san is very ill. I don't think she noticed herself, but that's one of the symptoms, a lack of self-awareness."

"I... I know. I saw what just happened..."

"But you hold the cure. In the secret we just shared."

"Huh...?!"

"You can tell her if you'd like. I'm sure she'd be so happy with you. Of course, others wouldn't, but I'm only offering you the choice. Now then, your secret on our assailant?"

"... His name is Zagi. He's an assassin and he's unhinged. Back in Terca Lumireis, my home with friends way stronger than I am, he would come out of nowhere and attack us all... He'd nearly win each time. Each time we beat him we were sure he died but he always came back."

"... Well this time he'll have justice to deal with. Zagi is his full name?"

Karol nods slowly. Akechi stands up and takes his leave without even glancing at me. What secret? Akechi hiding things from me is as bad as it gets, but now the only one out of the loop is me, I have to get Karol to tell me everything.

"Hey wait-"

He jumps and runs away from me. I... Admittedly feel hurt by this. He runs into the hospital room. I can't face Makoto after what happened... How annoying. I notice the phone rings again and answer.

"Sir, I apologize for-"

 _[ "No time! We have an emergency. Kaneshiro's family, the yakuza clan behind the drug orders, we found their headquarters. There are calling cards everywhere there! One for every corpse." ]_

"What...?! C-Corpses?"

 _[ "From goon to head of the family. I need you over there now! While the scene is fresh!" ]_

This... This is even more annoying. The Phantom Thieves are murderers, I believe this, but an entire mafia? Not even them could have... Would they?

* * *

Everyone turns to the door to see Karol slamming it behind him. Haru and I are actually relieved for a moment before remembering his Shadow. Usually it is hard to unsee the Shadow within someone, but here it was so divided, I just could not see this boy harbor anything distorted inside... Maybe I am a poor judge of character.

"What's wrong?"

"I... I know who did this to you. Two swords, incredible skill, and mad as a demon. I know his name too. I'll tell you everything I know on one condition."

No one knows what to say. We are all so shocked that we turn to Joker for answers. As always and as expected he meets this with an immediate answer.

"It's not that you get to date one of the girls, right?"

Sometimes I wonder why we let him lead. Karol is as flustered as I am annoyed.

"Please don't indulge him and answer honestly... Unless that is your condition?"

"N-No! I'll tell you all I know on one condition. I want the Phantom Thieves fix Sae's heart."

First he had our interest, now he has our attention,

"K-Karol...?!"

"Please... I know she's a good person... It's like she's been fighting herself from the inside. Sometimes she's so nice and risks her life for me, then she'll threaten me almost out of nowhere, it's awful... And you've dealt with this the longest Makoto."

"... I... Have. She wasn't always like this no."

"I didn't think so. They have to heal her! _You_ have to! Please!"

Joker nods with a resolute tone in his voice.

"We will when we have everyone back together. It may take awhile with our muscle being out of commission. Can you help him?"

Karol winces. He did get a good look at Ryuji's wounds earlier.

"Sorry... He'd need someone with real magic to help him with his side, plus there's no getting that eye back...!"

Yusuke scoffs with a dry voice.

"Ryuji will be without symmetrical vision... This entire situation is nothing short of hideous. Abhorrent... All done by a single entity."

Futaba sits up quick with a snort. Then, gasps loudly as she practically pounces onto Joker.

"Guys! Holy crap! We gotta get out of- oh we're already in the hospital. Uh, what I miss?"

I shake my head in slight disbelief.

"Good timing, we were just about to learn of the maniac responsible for this. Karol?"

The small boy nods and begins digging into his bag.

"I'll keep it short as I can. He's from my homeworld, Terca Lumireis. A world away from this one."

Yusuke stumbles over himself slightly at the comment. I admit that I do as well.

"W-Wait, homeworld? You mean homeland, like a country world away, correct?"

"You're not saying you're an alien, are you?"

Karol nods nonchalantly.

"Yeah. Seperate dimension. I read about that in a comic book online using that phone Haru bought me. It was a fun read during that boring court case. Anyways- Aughf!"

Futaba, somehow, sped from her bed to right in front of Karol in seemingly a second; her hands pulling away at his now rosy cheeks.

"Nooo waayy...! This explains so much about you now! I have sooo many questions!"

"Pwease... Stahp..."

Futaba releases his face only to grab an arm.

"But you're so small and your hair is like, super soft and shiny, look at your tiny arms! Wait... Whoa!~ These guns are solid! These should be illegal! How are you hiding these behind shirts this small?!"

"P-Please don't feel my arms like that..."

I can not help but feel pity for Karol since Futaba must be elated to meet someone shorter and younger than herself. I look over to Joker with a pleading tone.

"Hey... Could you get her to... You know?"

"Oh. Right. Futaba, engage in analysis. Find his weakness."

"What-?! Wait not what I meant!"

The damage was done and Futaba adjusts her glasses before flexing her fingers. She then began tickling the poor boy who had no choice but to laugh. He even fell down as she continues.

"Weakness identified! This alien is... Super cute! Can we keep him?"

Haru did not help the situation at all.

"I thought he was going to stay with me honestly after Niijima-san's outburst today. N-No offense Mako-Chan!"

Karol grabs Futaba's hands glaring at her while giggling still.

"S-S-St-Stop It! I'm trying to get things done here! You guys nearly died and you will again if you don't listen to me."

"...! R-Right... So all of that with Ryuji... It really did happen. I wish it was all just a dream."

"I think we all would like that. It's a miracle you guys are alive, or just prove you're all strong, maybe strong enough to beat Zagi."

Morgana tilta his head with Futaba.

 _("Zagi?")_

"That's his full name? We'll need a full name and his keywords!"

Yusuke pulls his phone out and enters it into the Meta Nav. We all do.

"My word...! It's a hit!"

I gasp as something new surfaces on the screen.

" _A User has requested your contact information and invited you to their Palace_... What does this mean? I-Is he trying to contact us?!"

Morgana and Haru look panicked. I sounded much of the same. Our feline friend is the Metaverse expert so we listen to what he has to say.

 _("This is impossible... That's utterly impossible! Being invited into a Palace is one thing, we went through that with Kaneshiro and Futaba. But this? Hacking and fusing Shadows together...? This guy is breaking all the rules!")_

"It's almost as if logic simply doesn't apply to him...! Should we accept?"

Joker holds his phone up staring intently at the screen before putting it away.

"We have a Palace to take care of before this one. We need to steal Sae's treasure first before we focus on anything else. Don't decline it."

Relief eases into my chest as I nod in agreement. I look to Karol showing an apologetic smile

"We have enough on our plate as is, but our goals align, thank you for the help. By the way, why were you and Sis here?"

"Oh! Another monster. It was a pack of large wolves led by a Corneus! They're wolves with a crystallized horn on the head... They don't usually channel and summoning lightning."

"Summon... What?!"

Once more we all look to our phones and search up the latest news. Sure enough images and videos are up of a wolf with a large crystalline horn. I even see Karol and Sae in a few. One in particular grabs Futaba's attention.

"Whoa! You dodged lightning!? How'd you even know when to move? Look at this!"

She holds up the phone and shows us a video someone took of. The wolf growls ahead before the horn sparks with bolts. Karol stands across the street with Sae being pushed away. It's as Futaba said, somehow he moves out of the way of lightning, and at the last possible moment too. We all slowly turn to Karol. I was expecting him to be excited or even elated to have his skills be shown. Surprisingly he is not. In fact he looks like he is about to pass out. I lower myself to eye level with him.

"Karol? It'll be alright, look, you can barely make faces out due to the flash, you'll be fine!"

Yusuke rolls his eyes as he puts away his phone with a chuckle.

"Someone like that here in reality would surely have a terrifying Shadow..."

Morgana brings up a fair but old question.

 _("If he doesn't want the public to know him, why hunt monsters in public? There are videos of the kid running down into the subway but...")_

Haru answers for me, thankfully. I am starting to feel tired.

"Karol-kun isn't familiar with social media. Where he's from, people still use letters and carrier birds, photos are as far as they've come."

Karol nods and pulls out the stone smartphone he uses.

"This is the closest thing we have to what you guys use. There's only two of these; we call them hyper slabs. I can see the whole city using it and it alerts me to monsters. I don't have any control over when and where monsters show up though."

He puts it up with his mouth open to continue but a nurse comes in stopping him shortly.

"I'm sorry but I have to ask you all to leave. It's past visiting hours."

As she lives an awkward silence in the air remains. So many questions. Things we would have to tell others. I can only imagine the nightmare Joker will have to go through telling Boss about Futaba. Yusuke sighs and leaves first.

"I will get Ann. She'll probably want to stay longer..."

Joker and Morgana leave next with Futaba waving at them.

"Don't worry about it! They called Sojiro earlier, so you'll probably be dead when I get out by tomorrow anyways!"

 _("At least pretend to care about this! Sheesh!")_

Haru is the last to leave. She takes Karol's hand on her way out.

"You can stay with me tonight."

"B-But Sae...!"

I have to interject.

"She won't be home until it's far past late. The fact she came home last night with you was a surprise. After this she'll want to work to keep her mind off of things. Just, go with Haru."

He nods begrudgingly and follows her out. I rest in my bed while Futaba sits on the side.

"You know... He seems a bit too nice. To have a Shadow, I mean. Makoto, you saw him kill a monster before, right?"

"So did Haru. Maybe he really is like you. Not a bad person but harmful desires."

"But he's literally an RPG protagonist come to life! What could he want that'd hurt him or anyone else?"

"If I had to guess a distorted desire of his, it would be his desire to please those around him, he tries real hard when it comes to displaying himself."

"I... I can see that in his Shadow for sure. Even when Shadow Sae treated him like that he only fought us harder. You don't think he'll follow us in, will you?"

"Not. On purpose. I'll make sure of that... I just wish we could see Ann. I can't believe it still, what happened to Ryuji..."

"I hope Ryuji recovers fast. He didn't get a heal like we did... He's tough though! I bet he'll get up and be all * _"I'll take that guy on eye or no eye"_ * or something."

I giggle at her boyish impression of him. She leaves for her bed and me to my thoughts. Despite all the things that have happened, may happen, I always think back on Ryuji. What is he thinking right now?

* * *

It stings yknow? To just be rendered useless. It's like I'm back at the track. Back when I messed up my leg. When Kamoshida was standing over me and all I could do was take it... It gets my blood boiling just thinking about. That's what I want to say, that what happened at the Palace only motivates me further, but I'd be lying. To everyone and myself. After tonight I never want to see that man again. If I have stay in this bed, in this room, I just might take that. At least I'm safe at home. I turn my head with a scream at the sight of that man standing over me. His sword raised but not to stab me. Instead I can see it, then I feel it, my eye impaled on the tip of his blade.

** ***** ** _"Sweet dreams, Pirate Boy."_** **

I wake up gasping for air and drenched in sweat as I shoot up from a bed in a dark sterile room. I know I'm in a hospital. I was barely conscious when we dragged ourselves in. I woke up a few times hearing Ann talk to herself, or maybe to me, I can't remember the words. I'm sore as Hell, there are bandages all over my body, and I can't see out of my left... Eye. Right. This is embarrassing. I didn't even put up a fight.

The bastard snuck up on me...!

He ruined everything! Goddammit! I wasn't supposed to effin' lose! I wasn't supposed to lose... It's hard to move but I manage to sit up to a surprise.

"Who the Hell-!?"

A finger presses against my lips as two girls ease me down into my bed. One with red hair glares at me, the other with green hair smiles as she hushes me.

"Shhh!~ We're here to help you! Word is from the grapevine that you got in over your head."

"So our boss has come with a proposition you can't refuse."

"No slouching now! It's bad for your back. Here!"

The green hair adjusts my bed to sit up for me. A man in the shadows walks out wearing odd as Hell clothes. Navy formal suit with a torn cravat and leathery gloves. His hair streaks backwards with weird spikes and dangerous look in his eyes. Different from the guy who nearly killed me but I won't let anyone sneak up on me again. He enters into the dim moonlight with a smile that turns to a frown.

"Mein Gott. You're far younger than I thought you would be. This only makes my mistake greater. You were never meant to meet with our enemy. The black mask has your eye now."

I'm so at a lost right now. The fact he mentions that whole shitty scene has me on edge.

"I'm sorry dude, what? How did you know about that?!"

"He's my responsibility. I've known him for years, I know his work, and when he leaves his mark. Droite?"

The green haired girl places a hand on my chest as I try to get up.

"You're still bleeding you know? Just a lot less than you were earlier. Look! Your bandage needs to be replaced already!"

She unwraps the bandage around my head; her face changes into disgust for a moment.

"Whoa! Zagi's work for sure. It kinda looks like a lightning bolt... So, it'll be a cool scar!"

The red haired one hisses lowly.

"Droite. The bandages. I'll get the medicine."

"Oh-! Right! Thanks Gauche!"

These two are ditzy. They freeze as their boss speaks before they can leave my side.

"Halt. No need for that. Boy. You're a Phantom Thief right?"

Now I know something is up. I get out of bed with Droite now away from me. I can make my escape. I try to jump out of bed and run past all if them. I immediately hit the ground with my arms barely able to support me. Legs are like jelly and I begin to gag as my stomach churns.

"Sh-Shit...! Why can't I move...!?"

The mystery man stands over me with a hand digging in his jacket.

"Because you're dying. His blades must have been lightly coated in poison. No one here could close your wounds because of it. You should have died from the pain and blood loss... But you didn't."

He lowers himself with a crouch before I feel something pointy against my side where the wound is.

"You fight against injustices no matter what. I find this act done to you far from what you deserve. You deserve the right and power to get the job done. I want to make a deal with you."

"A deal...? ... What kind of deal?"

"I heal you. You come with me and gain power already inside you. Whether you say yes or no though, I will heal you regardless."

The girls get antsy. No, they sound desperate, and and confused... Which confuses me.

"That's...! Yeager, you can't use that on him! We went through a lot of resources to get it!"

"Is this guy really worth using the horn? You know it's a one time use!"

I gotta look up at the guy. I manage to force my neck and head to do so and see his face again.

"So, boy. What do you say?"

"What am I gonna do? There's no free in any deal!"

"You'll come and train under me so we can take on the masked man together. Saving your world and mine. My only cost is your time you will spend away from those you love. An investment into yourself for their safety. The future where you spend it with them together is our goal. What do you say?"

What DO I say to this? It's insane! I know nothing about these three. They came at a time way too convenient for this to be incidental! But I want to get revenge... I can't remember what Ann was saying to me but I know she was crying. The idiot was hurt because I was dumb enough to get hurt! I don't even want to think how the others feel... My mom... And then it hit me.

"If you know who we are... Does he?"

"Unfortunately, we can assume. I would like to be hopeful that he found you on happenstance, but Zagi rarely makes mistakes."

"-! D-Damn...! **Dammit**...!"

If that's possible. That this guy knows who we are in real life. In reality. We're in trouble. Everyone we know is in trouble. How can we get back at that psychopath!? I don't have the power to do this...

Yet.

If they were here. My friends. They'd probably hit me for this. I don't have a choice though. I know we lost for once. I can't let this ever happen again.

"Give me the power. I need it."

"I'll need your name before we do this. I am Yeager."

"Ryuji. **AGH-!? SHIT**!"

Yeager shoves whatever weird object into my wound. It's a real bitch to deal with. Before I know it I'm standing up feeling good. Real good. Better than great actually! The three strangers look at me pleased with Yeager nodding at me.

"Wunderbar!~ That is how you are feeling, ja?"

"I'm feeling less dead, yeah...? What'd you do to me?"

Gauche, I think, scoffs at me with this knowing grin.

"Unicorn horn. The fixer upper to any and all damage! Sometimes, it can fix death."

That's way too weird to not follow up with another question.

"Fix death...? The Hell does that mean? A-And if it can heal anything why's my eye still dark?!"

"That's cause it heals, moron! Not replace what's gone."

Droite skips up to me and pushed my eyelid open. I reel back from the sudden and awkward feeling.

"H-Hey quit that shit!"

"But it really is all gone! Sure, you stopped bleeding, but you still have that scar across the skin! Did it really work?"

"I mean... I feel like it worked. Yo, Yeager?! When do we start unlocking this power? I can't waste anymore time than we have to."

Yeager approaches me with patience in his face. Something I'm running out of already. It's not that I'm grateful but I just heard the term * _unicorn horn_ * and have to ask so many other questions still. He then shoves me hard. I'm standing close to a wall, but instead of a solid surface I'm sucked into this soft stuff, and sink into the strange room. Before I know it, I'm spat out into this dusty ass room, feeling even lighter than before. Breathing is easy, too easy, even trying to stand up I feel like I'm going to soar into the air. Something then brightens in the room.

My eye socket is getting warmer. Hotter. It's the source of the light in the room...! It gets brighter and the heat rises to an unbearable temperature. Before long I'm screaming on my knees as I hear bolts and sparks fly. Something sounds with a deafening effect. The best way I can describe it is a continuous thunder boom. Just going and going, something leaving me, I can feel my body being drained of something. It feels like forever before it all ends.

I have my head up facing the ceiling, and in place of a dank cob webbed layer attic, a large burning hole the sizzles before me. It's not just the hole though. I notice a mirror off to the side. Cracked but I can still use it. I eye myself carefully and gasp in awe. The empty socket isn't empty anymore. A golden eyeball with white iris and pupil sit there. Occasionally a bolt will lick the corner of my eye or my eyelashes, but it doesn't hurt.

If anything I feel more powerful than ever.


	7. The Change

"Disgusting...!"

It's the only word I can use right now to describe this scene. Visceral may be better, gore and organs splattered all around ruthlessly, I become rather familiar with human anatomy by walking up the first few floors in ways I never wanted to be acquainted with. This entire building had armed men on duty; trained to fight and perhaps even kill. Criminals from low life muscle to weapon dealers, drug peddlers, and possibly human trafficking. The worst and most dangerous local to Shibuya. They were all slaughtered in this building tonight. Admittedly I take my time maneuvering around everything. I try to rush myself but the smell and the looks on their petrified faces, the sight of butchered innards and the gross contents they once held, it's all too much even for me. I was handed a bag and latex gloves earlier before entering, now I understand why, a scene like this has to be examined with the utmost careful hands and eyes. Were it not for the numerous calling cards connecting this to my case I wouldn't be here. I finally reach the top floor where I am met with a surprise guest.

"Akechi-?!"

He looks at me with a grim yet pleasant smile. Clearly as disturbed as myself.

"Sae-san. Apologies for leaving so suddenly. You can see why I had to though. Looks like we'll be working this scene together!"

I eye him carefully. He must have been here for awhile. He has blood all over his clothes. He's squeamish from what I recall.

"You shouldn't be exposed to-"

"I appreciate the concern but don't patronize me. We both work under the law. We do things no one should have to bear the weight or be the witness of so that others don't. Underestimating me is almost insulting, Sae-san."

That was sudden. He really did seem offended, even angry for a moment, I didn't mean to question him... But there was an obsessive look in his eye I've noted since the first I saw him. A rare but interesting sight. I've yet to properly create a mental image of his personality. It's the little things that make up for a profile. One of the little things is that despite his clear disgust here, he's reacting better than when Okumura died in front of a live audience, far better. I apologize quickly. We don't have time to waste on small talk.

"I didn't mean to offend. What do we have here."

"A very complicated situation. One can assume many things. In fighting. An ambush from within, a gang war, or perhaps... The most unlikely one. A single man came in and killed all of these men. Of all these suggestions, the last one rings most true."

"That's preposterous! How could you possibly say that one! At least the others have merit in logic."

"And reality. Unfortunately, truth is stranger than fiction. While the coroner's and forensic team were doing their duty, I took a looks at the head of the clan's desk, right here."

He steps over a few bodies and kneels to the desk where the body of an elderly man lied. A box wrapped in chains in his arms just over his chest.

"No one's been able to open that yet. No lock for a key. However, this isn't what I mean, rather right here-"

Akechi hovers a hand above a shelf and pulls the handle down like a lever. It comes tilting out revealing the a hidden television screen with dials and a button above a PA intercom.

"And found this under our noses. Look here at this dial. When I turn it on with a push, we see a room in the building. A whole floor. Each turn of the dial moves to the next one. You can see Detective Tanimura smoking outside behind the building too."

"They had eyes everywhere...!"

"This was their home and they had many enemies. Here's a disk slot. Conveniently, or perhaps twisted fate, allowed me to find the disk inside had been recording the crime. We have the full scene here before us."

"... Play the disk."

Akechi does so. The playback starts from the first floor entrance. A figure of average size and lean build enters. It's near midnight on the time. There must have been an important meeting. He looks strange, a one piece suit with straps and belts, and a full mask. An enforcer tries to push him back, but the thug is handed a calling card before his wrist is broken in single motion, hand twisted awkwardly by the intruder with ease. From here it goes from abhorrent to nightmarish. He leaps like a tiger, physically beating men almost twice his size into bloody tears, before taking out two blades that hung on his back. From here on the bloodbath starts. Whoever is near him, in any direction they come from, he strikes first. Every punch thrown countered, an arm is severed or a head is lobbed off, kicks end in similar ways of being lost. He gutted them. Pulverized them. Used them to fight each other by guiding their blows when he was surrounded. Used them as shields when under gunfire. He threw men out of windows and when half way up made his way to the elevator and pressed the button for it, only to run off. The cameras shake and it cuts back to the first floor. The elevator crashed. The suspect leapt out holding the tether that let those bastards fall to their deaths... Then took the stairs.

Each floor, each shot, each moment was someone or a group dying by this monster's hand. It is honestly hard to watch. It gets to where they grow desperate and use decorative weapons. Spears, katanas, unconventional weapons too like brass knuckles or chain tied to a sickle. Few of these men actually know how to use these weapons. These few are killed first as their opponent has skill beyond human.

They were the head's last line of defense. They were the lower heads, family leaders, men we had been searching for and trying to arrest for years...! All our work. Gone.

The final screen shows the true terror of this beast. This living whirlwind of death. The head fires a gun. It looks foreign, American, military probably. It should have at least knocked the freak back. A spark is seen as his arms blur in the footage. A few more times this happens as I step back from disbelief.

"That's something seen in movies this is impossible! None of that is... How could any human being be this dangerous!?"

Akechi remains silent as he continues to watch with an intense gaze. A trance almost. The head is beaten mercilessly. Slammed and tossed against the floor and wall. He beats on him, again, and again, until there is no longer a response of any kind. He then searches the room, and finds a secret safe, but it has a DNA scan on it. Of course, he severs the head of the clan's hand off, using it to unlock the safe. Money, photos, liquor and more are inside the small compartment... He takes the most interesting item. A classified document. He leaves the rest behind and searches the desk... Finding what we found... And nodded almost approvingly as he at the direction of the camera. At us. He starts carving away at the desk and walls, then left while throwing calling cards all around during his descent, occasionally tagging more surfaces and even bodies with his blade. Akechi sighs and looks at me with no smile on his face.

"Perhaps there truly are demons in this world after all, Sae-san. I can't really think of any other way to explain... That."

"Then find a way. This is unbelievable! No one would think this is real!"

"Are you saying the footage here is doctored? I've seen showy movies. This is real. He is out there."

"Is this... Was he a Phantom Th-"

"Not even. If they ever acted in such a way before we wouldn't have the footage we have here. I know for a fact it isn't the Phantom Thieves."

"..."

I'm relieved actually. This man is either trying to frame the Phantom Thieves poorly or is seeking their attention. The former makes sense... To a terrifying degree. I then recognize something. The tags, the carving he did, they were strikingly similar to Karol's written language.

"I need that disk Akechi. Now."

"Huh-!? But, shouldn't we wait to show-"

"I just need it to make a copy of the data on it. I have my laptop with me so I can do it here. No one but the forensics team and the clean up crew will be up this high anyways. "

"... If you think this is for the best."

"I do. Those markings mean nothing to us, but I have a contact familiar with them, they'll tell us what I need to know."

It takes some time but I manage to copy the data into files... I had nearly forgotten how tech savvy you need to be in this business. I hardly am an IT expert but I'm no novice either. I get the rest of my things and head out. It starts to rain hard as I hurry to the dry cover of my car. I can't stop looking at the blood on my shoes and pants when I get in. Still stained despite the rain.

I have to move onward. Now's a good time to call Makoto and... Right. Hospital.

I head straight home. The second night in a row, but I'm going to make progress, and Karol is my only hope right now. Funny... He would probably die of elation if I told him that. Still it's true. I enter our apartment to find it empty... Exceedingly empty. I don't have time to mull over this. Where would Karol have gone? The only other person I can think of is... Okumura's daughter. I have her number from our investigation at Okumura's building! Yes! It's late but I know she has to answer! She must! I call. And call. And call. Finally someone picks up. A tired voice answers.

 _[ "Wh-Who is this...?" ]_

"Sae Niijima of- Karol? Is that you!?"

 _[ "S-Sae?! Why are you calling Haru?" ]_

"Never mind her, you I need to talk to, your language Lumireian? I found it at a scene and I need a translator. I'm sending it to you text-"

 _[ "Don't! This isn't even my phone! I'll just come to you. You're at your work still, right?" ]_

"I'm at home. Do you know how to get there from where you are?"

 _[ "Y-Yeah. Yes ma'am." ]_

"Good."

I hang up. He knows to hurry over. He must have been asleep but still... Why was he there? It hardly matters honestly. He can take care of himself. Right now I need him to help me. He owes me after everything anyways. It takes an hour... Then longer... I start to get irritated and try calling him again. Then again. I nearly give up after so many attempts until the last ring. Okumura's daughter picks up.

 _[ "Niijima-san? What is this about? You've been calling me nonstop." ]_

"Karol! I'm looking for Karol. Have you seen him?"

 _[ "... Oh! I don't know! He was gone when I woke up. He has his own phone actually, you should call that. I can give it to you." ]_

"Please! Yes! That would be ideal!"

It's a standard number for our area. I call it soon as I can after the girl hangs up. He picks up quickly.

 _[ "Who is this!? I'm kind of busy right now!" ]_

"It's me-! Where are you? What's taking so long?!"

 _[ "M-Monster, Sae... Big one... Very big one with a lot of screens around." ]_

Oh my God. How could I forget. He had just hunted this evening and... I realize where he is and turn the television on for the news. To my terrified heart and unblinking, Karol stares down a large serpent creature made entirely of rainwater in the middle of Shibuya Crossing. So long it's coiled around a few buildings. The people flee and I can only make out the boy due to the growing vacant space.

"Oh My God..."

* * *

I couldn't sleep tonight after everything that happened today. I feel so rigid and stiff. Angry. I failed someone like I failed Shiho. I watched Ryuji nearly die right in front of me with everyone else. Sure, we fought the guy who hurt him, but he threw us around. He wouldn't wake up in the hospital, just like with Shiho when she was taken in, I thought he would wake up like her too... I'm so lost in this whirlpool of emotions that I can't even raise my head to look up at me. Even the weather is bad as it started to pour heavily on my way home. I bump into something small and hear a grunt. Probably some kid.

"O-Oh I'm sorry-!"

"You need to get out of here!"

That's rude. I'm not in a good mood either. I start to give this punk a piece of my mind until I notice who he is. The kid from Sae's Palace.

"Y-You!? What are you doing here?!"

"Go away! It's dangerous out here!"

"What are you talking about it's just... Why did the rain stop?"

Looking up answers as many questions as it does make questions. Wrapped around a few of the surrounding buildings and lowering it's head to stare at us with three glowing eyes is a giant snake made of water.

 _"Oh... O-Oh My G-!"_

It goddamn roars at us from such a close distance that I am blown off my feet. The kid is too, but he has this oversized pick axe in hand that he strikes the ground with, snatching my wrist as we're anchored by the unconventional item. It stops trying to deafen us and we fall to the ground. I land on my knees and he his feet.

"What the hell is happening!?"

"Just go! Get out of here! You're not safe here!"

"Y-You're not either! Look at the size of this thing!"

"I-I've fought bigger..."

"I'm pretty sure you get to say that often with your size."

"For the love of...!"

He releases me and pulls the oversized pick axe out of the ground to put away in his bag. As I stand there trying to figure out the mystery behind putting an object bigger than that bag works he pulls out an even larger "weapon". This red ball on a stick. It glows with this intense heat but couldn't be an actual fireball. I mean, it had a face on it, a spooky one... The tail of the snake hovers over us before coming down with a rumble.

 **"DRAGON UPPER!"**

He shouts as he swings his weapon from a low stance to the sky. The mouth of the fiery face breathes hot fire out like a rocket nozzle. The tip of the tail evaporates as the base boils. The snake shakes and convulses with a gurgling hiss. The head swings down with the jaws wide open to swallow us.

 **"DEVIL RAGE RISE!"**

Another dumb sounding move that proves incredibly effective as he essentially breaks the jaw of the watery monster with a swing at the lower jaw. Well, it's more like he melted half of it and the rest fell off, the head rises back like it was hit by something strong... The kid was tiny though! His Shadow being super strong, sure whatever, but this!? I can see why Makoto and Haru were trying to hide him now... The water ripples and shudders before falling down. A wave of rainwater comes at us, shallow but strong, we're almost swept away. I stayed mostly dry as he takes me and throws me up at a streetlight. I cling to it for life and shout at him angrily. I mean, pipsqueaj just threw me like I was an unwanted kitten, how could I NOT be pissed!

"Hey! Watch where you're touching! A-And don't just throw girls around!"

My growl turns to a gasp. He's convulsing while the water is filled with visible bolts of electricity. He stumbles back as the bolts vanish and water flows into the drainage. Somehow he's still standing and shakes his head, walking that whole attack off, glares at two glowing orbs that sit at the center of the Crossing. The eyes! One sink into the ground as the other is struck by lightning. Both vanish before the ground erupts, a bulky stone body breaks from underground, the sphere acted as a head. I slide down and run after the kid to pull him back.

"H-Hey! Let the police handle-"

He's way faster than he looks. It's not that I couldn't catch up, it was the fact he moves so suddenly and the monster was already so close. I stop dead in my tracks with my heart near stopping too. I didn't want to someone else die in front of me...

Thankfully, a miracle occurs, or maybe this was just the natural result but, seeing a pipsqueak kid smash open a boulder sized fist of concrete with an oversized hammer has never been on the list of things I wanted to see.

Life's funny like that.

He smashes the other fist with a counter swing, then at the end of the swing uses the hammer as a pole vault, drop kicking it's chest leaving an indent. It falls over with a groan and shakes the ground upon landing. I can see the orb trying to gather more of earth to make a stronger body, but the kid lands on it's leg from the kick and rushes right up to the head with a devastating blow. Cracking it in half. It makes the weird high pitched screech before exploding like a small bomb. The force sends the boy back and into the very streetlight he threw me on, denting it with his body, he falls to the ground coughing up some blood. I run over to him and help him to his feet.

"I think you won... Lightning broke that other one!"

"... Huh? Lightning? Oh no-"

Sound of static and sparks sound before I'm thrown back by some unseen force. The boy is also suddenly back into the center of Crossing. A light flashes by and knocks him around, leaving bruises and burn marks, his clothes tear and start to smolder, any second he could catch fire. Just a few times, twice maybe, I can make out an image, like a man made of lightning attacking him. The stomach is where the orb is. I don't know why I began running towards the fight. I'm not in the Metaverse, I don't have access to my powers, but this kid can't fight what he can't see. I have to get him out of here!

"You can't win! C'mon let's go! We have to get out of here! We gotta run!"

"N-No...! I can't run away... I won't ever run away again...! He's jumping through the screens... Look!"

He points up with a grunt. He's right. All the lights, advertisement screens, anything with power had suddenly been on the fritz. Static or flickering on or off.

"If I can tell where it's coming from... Where it'll appear... I can beat him in one hit!"

He stands to his feet, much to my own dismay, I'm about to really let him have it until I find myself off my feet and in the air. The ground felt as hard as I imagined it would as I land on my back. My head and chin aches from the attack. I sit up and look at the very angry child who grips his weapon. Stuffing it in and pulling out a new hammer with weird short ridges on each end. He stands still awaiting the freakish living light show to make a move. It does. And somehow, he catches it midswing, the ridges clamp down onto the sphere like clamps. Electricity is absorbed into the hammer itself, the arms flailing around helplessly before being sucked into the metal, the kid raises his weapon high once more before slamming it into the ground. He destroys the orb, and with how deep it's sent into the ground, suffocated the explosion to a mere puff.

It was the coolest thing to look at in awhile.

He drops to his knees pushing himself up with arms panting. Finally we can get out of here. I run up to him and pull him up.

"You-You actually...! Did all that...! Those two, Makoto and Haru, they weren't kidding around! I-I just left the hospital so we can-"

"Sae...! Gotta get to Sae. She needs me."

"Makoto's sis? Why would she have abything to do with you?"

He looks like he's about to answer, but a manhole cover flies up from the ground as we approach it, tendrils of water slithers up his leg and to his throat, becoming a dome as the last sphere floats out under from the sewers. He struggles and thrashes around but is too weak from the other fights. He's drowning right before my eyes... But I won't just stand here and do nothing!

I notice his bag is free from the water. I decide to pull a Ryuji, diving for the magic bag to shove my hand inside it, digging around who knows what. I can't tell from texture or grip it all feels weird.

"Please... Please...! Something I can carry!"

I pull out a rather small looking sword, almost perfect for me, kinda like the one I use in Mementos! It's simple from here. I pull back before plunging the weapon deep into the orb. It isn't hard with a thin sheet of water, plus most of it is being used to drown the boy, which ripples and falls down. It starts to make that sound but it's stuck to the sword! I'm freaking out now! How do the hell do I get rid of this shitty possessed ball!? I swing it around desperately and to my surprise, the sword comes apart, extending like a whip before the screeching ball explodes into a huge cloud of money. Like, a LOT, money. So much that I can't help but catch a few bills in the air before turning back to the kid.

"Is it over? It should be right? I only counted three of those damn things."

He doesn't say anything. He just lays there... Not breathing. At all.

"Ooohhh no no no nonononon-!"

You can't be serious! After all that hard work!? All the Bullshit!? It's not fair! I... I don't know how to do CPR! They didn't teach us that in school for awhile!

"What're you doing? Pull something from his bag again! I'll handle him!"

That's a voice I'm not top familiar with. I turn around to see Makoto's sister run at us. She gets down and rests her head on his chest before hissing under her breath. She puts her hands over his chest doing compressions in an instant.

"No! Dammit! Dammit boy! C'mon Karol!"

She breathes into his mouth twice before going back to compressions. She then shouts at me.

"What did I tell you?! Don't be useless! Get something, anything from in there, it should be like the gel you and your friends ate last time!"

"Y-Yes ma'am."

She's scary. Still, I can tell she's scared to, desperate even. I wonder what's going on in her head.

* * *

Damn him... Damn him... Damn him...! Why does he do this to me!? To himself?! Is it glory? Duty? Philanthropy? This kid is a goddamn puzzle over the simplest things! I... I can't lose him! He's my lead! He's a wonderful source of income! He... He's just a kid...! Why do these things happen? And why do I care at all?! One more breath. A few more compressions. Two more breaths. Please...

"Wake! Up! _Karol_!"

I start to pound my fist over his chest. Again. And again. And again. And-.

"Aughf! Augh... Ooh, my chest...!"

Karol cough up a mix between water and some blood. In fact now that I think about it I bring my hand up to my lips. His blood. For some reason I have a chill run down my spine. Of all reactions, this one is the one I have, and I can't tell why... He then tried to sit up on his own.

"Karol, no! Rest... We'll get you home."

"I... I'm sorry. I couldn't ignore everyone here..."

Ugh. Of course he'd say the things that made me feel worse... Had he just stayed home... But then, would Shibuya Crossing be gone? Would the whole town be flooded rubble without Karol? The blonde girl, Anne Tomoko or something, pulls out a bottle and hands it to me.

"I keep pulling this out! I couldn't find whatever you were talking about...!"

"That's fine, it'll have to do."

The contents are crystal clear but the bottle looks antique. Like something from an old era revitalized. Now's not the time for an analysis. I pop the thing open and pour it down Karol's gullet. He drinks it all and before long the superficial wounds heal quickly. His eyes weakly open.

"Phew... I think I can walk? Here, I'll-"

"Don't you dare move a muscle. I'll take you home myself. You may be stronger than any man I know but you're still a child."

I pick him up off the ground. He acts like such a child, almost girlish as he blushes, covering his face with his hands as he growls.

"H-Hey! You don't gotta remind me... This is embarrassing."

What's embarrassing is having to take care of such a troublesome child. Still, it's not all bad, as it turns out most news and media outlets focused away from the Crossing after the snake's demise. Karol was seen... Though he was nearly a speck on screen, and due to some unknown reason, footage began to cut out. I don't know what he fought but it must have been worth billions. That's the amount spread all around. I can tell easily. As I carry him away I find myself already afflicted with my usual urges to ask all the questions I have at once. I keep them under control for the ride home and in the apartment. As I lay him onto the couch, I bring a notebook over. I'm not going to expose him to the lunacy that is that playback video.

"Karol. Can you stay up a little longer for me?"

"Sure? Why?"

"See these symbols?"

I hold the notebook out and open to him. He smiles with a bit of a snicker.

"Your handwriting is so bad...! Where'd you learn these anyways?"

"Sh-Shush! I copied this best I could. It's from a dangerous criminal. I put them together best I could but try to read them separately."

"Okay?"

He looks rather odd. Then fearful. Then sick. I've never seen a person pale so fast before. Sweating and shivering, he backs away slowly, making me unnerved.

"K-Karol...?"

It's like he's reliving a memory of a kind. A trauma. With what he's done so far I wouldn't be surprised.

"I... I... Uh... A-Ah...!"

"Karol!"

Finally he snaps out of it. He still looks like he's seen a ghost, but at least he can speak again, I even try to reassure him with a hand on his shoulder.

"Huh!? O-Oh... Uh, you wrote it all weird, and repeated some, I can fix it by tomorrow..."

"Why are you so scared? I've never seen you like that."

He doesn't answer... I need an answer thougg, I can't to leave it alone, so I pull him into a hug. This should be effective.

You can rely on me, Karol. I'm here to help you."

His shaking continues for a time. Sitting there in my arms like a cold pup. He utters out after what feels like half an hour.

"... Zagi."

"What?"

"Zagi. That's a name. The others are... Phantom. Harvest. Heart. And chains. Why did you write these?"

"You said that name before. To Akechi. An assassin in your world?"

He pushes me away with a gasp.

"Y-You were listening...?!"

"My job is to find the truth. Karol, what's your relationship with this man, are you his current target?"

"... I... I don't want to talk about it. Please."

... I can't do it. I can't find it in me to snap at him. It's like he has me the in this strange serenity at a constant. Sighing, I concede for once, and stand up.

"Then we won't. I'm sorry to have upset you. We should celebrate tomorrow. You really did an amazing job today."

I stop as he snatches my hand. A soft grasp I can easily pull away from. I don't.

"Sae? Can you...? I don't want to... Could you stay with me until I fall asleep? I can answer more questions!"

"No... No questions right now. Just, rest. I'll be right here."

"Thank you."

He closes his eyes and lays back. Faster than anticipated, he falls soundly asleep, releasing my hand at last. However, as I stand up, a strange sensation hits me. My head grows light and my chest heavy. An pang of pain them at vanishes and is replaced with... Elation? I don't understand... Is this the Phantom Thieves, or is this something else, is this Karol's doing? ... I may have to ask him a few more questions when he wakes up.

* * *

"Agh! Dammit! Shit! Shit! **Fuck!** "

Damn this Palace! Every room is a death trap, every step is a trial, and worst of all... The Ruler is nowhere to be in sight! I've done this time and time again. Something like this is impossible! It took all night, despite the simplicity compared to Sae's, I have never struggled so hard in my life like now. Were it not for my experience, my skill, there's no denying that I would be dead. Perhaps, I should retreat.

 ** _"Take a seat."_**

I turn around with a boot in my chest sending me into a decrepit wall. It crumbles on top of me after I fall. Heavy enough to trap me as I'm too weak to even stand. The figure I faced with the Phantom Thieves, the _other_ black mask, Zagi.

He places a foot on my wounded leg and applies his weight by leaning on it casually. I bite down my pain and stare back at him.

"Aren't you going to kill me?"

 ** _"No. I was running into random Palaces, big ones, like mine but older! They all squealed and mention someone like me. I just wanted to meet..."_**

"You're not human."

 _ **"And you're not satisfied with your life! I can see it in your eyes and in your body as you fight... The way you wear that mask in public. I know it all too well."**_

What...?! Is he insinuating that he knows who I am? The real me...?!

"You don't know me...!"

 ** _"I said I knew your mask. I've not interest in, hollow husks, but you've got depth! Density. Mass! Something we have in common. I don't want to kill you. I want to be your friend."_**


	8. Symbiotic Relationship

I stand still and at attention in the elevator. I adjust my tie and gulp as I try my best to calm myself. This is a most terrible situation I find myself in. Last night, I infiltrated the Palace of an assassin hunting a small boy, that same night I learned far more than I aimed to. Today, I report my findings to my superior-

"Tch! Can't this metal box go any faster!? I'm getting impatient...!"

... With a guest. The man next to me and my sole current company is the owner of the Palace and Shadow, Zagi, no surname. His pale skin and eyes with small iris' make him seem like a walking ghost. The rings around his eyes indicate a lack of sleep. His hair is also a nightmare in the eyes of fashion, unkempt and wild in three different shades of color. He's dressed in modern clothes, albeit with a goth punk aesthetic for some reason, the leather and spikes seem much. Almost as much as the numerous duffle bags he carries on him.

I don't know how he found me stumbling out of the Metaverse. It was a convenient find, he healed me but my body aches immensely still, and my undershirt is still bloodstained with tears in it. All concealed by my coat. However, I've yet to wash the contents of Sakura-san's lunch from it.

"Please just wait a bit more. It is a tall building."

"I hate waiting so much. Prefer the stairs... Exercise, moving around, got blood pumping through my brain to keep me distracted... "

"You are quite the active character. Anything to do with your profession?"

"They say if you love something you'd ought to get paid for it. I love fightin', so I put myself out there, bit harder to do in this world. You guys have everything figured out."

"This country is hardly a paradise. I assure you."

"That why you going around in people's head and killin' them?"

"Can we change the subject?"

"To what? The fuckin' weather?"

He's difficult but honest. The opposite of Karol. I had to dance around that child's fear and shy insecurity, but perhaps it's better this way.

"How did you end up here?"

"Aren't we going to your boss about that? Shouldn't you have a little, _patience?"_

"..."

Very difficult.

The doors open to a regal hallway that leads to his penthouse, Masayashi Shido. I open the doors before we enter together. Shido-san is surprisingly idle, as he's either on calls or emailing when not campaigning, it is strange to see him alone to himself. He watches the city below with a wine glass in hand filled with dark liquor.

"I told you I did not want to be disturbed."

"Forgive me. I have something far too urgent to discuss. Answers to our supernatural problems."

I bow as is the custom while Zagi saunters right up to his desk. Hands in pockets and a lazy smile on.

"Sup. I'm the guy who has the answers to your questions. That's what we were both told, but I'm also the solution to your sudden loss in the underground crime world, due to a certain clan being exterminated."

Shido turns around and eyes our guest with clear disgust. I can't blame him.

"So you are the one who caused that scene... That's quite the skill you have. Impressive, but mistaken. How do you intend to rectify that mistake?"

"By replacin' them. You turned to them when you needed a dirty job done without your clean hands getting in the shitter... But that meant leverage, cash to pay for their jobs and silence, cash that I have brought back... And more."

Zagi drops the bags and opens them. Indeed, they were packed with yen bills. He counted numbers under his breath before smiling brightly.

"Five hundred million, four hundred and sixty three thousand, seven hundred twelve yen. Plus the amount you'll save with my own services. You got a receipt for those?"

"And what did you take from it?"

"Not a damn dime. I don't like money. It weighs me down. I just used money off the corpses to buy my hotel and food. Do I look like a guy who could use this money wisely?"

"You sound like a bloodthirsty fool and look like a misguided idiot."

I tense at those words. Shido usually wins people over with his charisma and lies... To hear him be so honest and crass to this man of all people is worrisome. What's more worrisome is the response.

"I know what I am and what I'm not. Now you do too. You want nothin' to do with me? That's fine. I just wanna go home."

Zagi turns around and starts to walk away. Perhaps things may end simply.

"Wait."

Yet Shido never was one for simple... He calls out to Zagi which stops the mad man.

"How much are willing to take for your services."

"... What'll I be doin'?"

"Whatever I damn well tell you. Is that an issue?"

Zagi turns his head back with a knowing smile.

"No. Not at all. In fact I'm completely within my element, sir. I only want as much as it takes for a couple of beef bowls. Oh!"

He turns around fully with a finger raised, then points it at me, taking an entirely different tone: casual.

"I do have one condition. I want him as a partner. No one else. I need a guide to tell me how all this shit works."

"That's fine. Goro."

He looks to me expectantly. This is... Far worse than I thought. How will we work together? He's an unhinged psychopath and I'm a celebrity detective. He and I are natural enemies... But for the sake of my ultimate goal I will endure.

"I will educate him to the best of my ability. Come. Let's get started."

I take Zagi away and go back to the elevator. Something strikes me then.

"You... Never answered a single question!"

"Yeah I did."

"No! The monsters! Karol! This other world-! You didn't mention any of that!"

"He never asked. You just did. See how funny these kind of talks work?"

"... No. Elaborate."

"Bald and self-absorbent stopped giving a shit when I sold myself to him. He didn't care cause the monster business and my life don't matter to him. You however... You seek beyond yourself. That's an interestin' perspective."

He leans in dangerously close with a sneer. Unsettling me to the core as I feel colder...

"What do you get out of learning these type of things? What drives you to it? The truth...?"

He abruptly leans back and against the wall of the elevator lazily rolling his eyes off of me.

"I think you and I are gonna get along!~ Call it a hunch!"

I've nothing to say to this man. Nothing nice at least. My phone buzzes at that moment. A message from the Phantom Thief group chat. I pull my phone out to check. Seems Niijima-san has been allowed to reunite with the rest of us. Sojiro Sakura is also rather understanding and will allow us to continue using LeBlanc as a hideout. We are running low on time. An idea clicks within my mind.

"Zagi... You need Karol for some reason. Yes?"

"Huh? Why ya asking now?"

"I'm undercover as a Phantom Thief. Your other self told you... Didn't it."

"That's how I found you bleeding out like a stuffed pig, yeah."

"How is it you can interact with yourself like that?"

Zagi smiles and taps his temple vein.

"It started here. With the voices. I've always had those though, probably a screw loose or something, but then that shitty brat threw us both into the portal to this world. Thing is, my blades, and my body..."

He pulls one if his signature weapons from under the jacket he wears. It... Hums. With a soft vibration, he swings at the air, making me jump and creating a strange tear in the space between us.

"Ever since I woke up, I could shift between the two planes you people walk, here in reality and the one in your head. I noticed that place had monsters. I couldn't kill em though. Then another me appeared and killed them. We talked, we fought, and it was fun..."

He reveled there for a moment. I cough politely to get to him continue.

"Then we learned what I could do. What _we_ could do. It hit me then. That snot nosed shit heel could do the same. He's just too weak in his heart to do it! If he was strong enough to make a tear, then collide a swing like that with mine, we theoretically could make a tear back home!"

"Strong in heart...?"

"He's a known coward back home. A poor sap. Worthless. Useless. Sure he learns but he's never good enough for anyone. I have to make him feel like he's none of those things... I have to make him feel strong. We both already know he is, physically."

"... You have a point. He is just a child. Is that how the monsters have invaded our world? Through you?"

"Huh? ... Oh! Oh no, not at all. That's Yeager."

He answers far too casually. Before he can go into further detail, the door opens, his blade concealed and the tear closes. I whisper to him.

"Please keep your, other self, away from the Phantom Thieves. Karol is with us now and he may prove difficult. We may defeat it If it gets in the way with him."

"There's only one man who's ever beat me. Every kill, every fight, all of my life has and will lead up to my duel to the death with him... _Without Karol I can't achieve that..._ I'll pull back if you give us somewhere else to go."

"Easy. I've a list actually. Shido made it for me when he had undesirables or proper targets for me to hit. This here is now your duty."

"... You make your own crimes to solve... I told you kid. I knew we were gonna get along!"

I'm starting to understand him... That speech is the most serious I have seen Zagi yet. His face had darken with his voice with his eyes dilating like an animal on the hunt. Still, if we can work together, perhaps I can find a way to be rid of him. Either by means of fulfilling his desire, or a proper bullet in his head, but for now he stays alive. He is... Quite useful if I can use him like this. I hand him the list of targets Shido made for me and we go our separate ways.

For now.

* * *

"Your sister already had a change of heart!? Are you sure!?"

Takamaki's shrieking is met only by Sakamoto's howling. I clean my ears to try and listen to Niijima. She seems the most perplexed despite Takamaki's volume.

"I can't think of any other way to describe it... It's like she's a new person. She picked me up from the hospital, She smiles more often and when I asked about her case she just laughed it off, it felt so surreal... She took us out to eat like royalty too!"

"Us?"

"Well, Karol was there too. Ann? Didn't you have something to tell us about him?"

Takamaki nods and scans the room to see if everyone is paying attention.

"So everyone. We all saw that last night, Shibuya Crossing had a monster attack, right?"

Everyone except Niijima agreed. I myself shake my head not knowing the news for once. Usually I'm the topic... It's somewhat of a relief to have the spotlight elsewhere.

"I'm afraid I didn't hear about that myself."

"That's a surprise! I thought you would be all over that scene!"

"I was hurried to another crime scene of my own regarding the Phantom Thieves. But please, continue with your topic first."

"Well this is going to be a long meeting... Okay, Futaba! Gimme some visual aid here, please!"

Sakura-san adjusts her glasses and brings her laptop from Joker's bed to our table. A helicopter view video from one of the many news sites. A scene right out of a video game. A long and rather thick snake made from rainwater attacks two people too small to pproperly identify. A torrent of raging flames burn and evaporate parts of it away before it falls apart. The footage then becomes static filled and ends. She looks to Takamaki with her brow raised.

"As cool as that was to look at what did it that have to do with anything?"

"You won't believe this, but that was Karol and myself down there, and that giant snake turned out to be three monsters at once. He beat two of them, then nearly drowned, but I pulled this from his bag and saved him."

Imagine our surprise when she pulls out a real short sword from her own school bag. She then clicks something on the hilt, it's not quite clear to me, but the sword extended into a bladed whip.

"I kinda forgot I had it until this morning when we arrived at school... Heh..."

Takamaki shrinks under the glare of Niijima-san before continuing on.

"I-It wasn't intentional! When all was said and done, Sae-san came for the kid! She saved his life and took him home before I could put it back!"

I decide to chime in. It's hard not to.

"Sae-san has gotten uncharacteristically close to this Karol... Could it be possible that his presence or actions have an effect on her Shadow? Perhaps, even his Shadow is causing this new change."

Niijima looks to the side speaking in this dejected voice.

"Well... Karol is with her even now. She has by all means clung to him since this morning. He's a sweet boy but this is unnerving."

Okumura raises her hand slightly as if she is in class.

"Perhaps it's something similar to Futaba and Joker! She always clings to him whenever she wants."

Sakura-san blushes before doing exactly that as she glares at Okumura.

"Th-That's not true! Tell them Joker!"

"Futaba is right. She'll cling to me whenever she can."

"Th-T-That's not what I meant!"

Niijima shakes her head.

"No. Futaba's case makes sense. Sis however isn't like her, she'd never become so close to anyone within just a few days, especially in Karol's case."

I can not help but smile as I see an opportunity for some fun.

"Is it that your jealous of the boy's affinity for heroics and mass amount of wealth or perhaps simply that he's wormed his way into her heart?"

I may have finally broke the camel's back. She stands up with her signature glare and points at me.

"You know what?! I have had it with you and your dumb comments about-! Joker!"

"Joker?"

"No!"

She moves her pointed finger at our leader with wide eyes full of revelation.

"Joker! Sis' Palace! We have to go there now!"

To our surprise, or my own at least, he stands up and nods with a knowing look.

"It just hit me too. Let's go everyone."

Kitagawa sighs and stays seated as he speaks.

"I don't want to be the one to lower morale, but we are missing a member, is this wise?"

The cat, Morgana I think, pipes up with her childish voice. I think she always sounds like that.

 _("I don't know... He was always an idiot, but when push came to shove Ryuji had all our backs, I can't say things will be easy without him.")_

... Wait. I think that's a boy's voice. It is very hard to tell with a cat. Takamaki stands up next with a scoff.

"I know it's hard but he'd be laughing at us right now! Ryuji always moved forward even when it wasn't a good idea, so we should too, it's what he would want! We can't fail him now...!"

Tears begin to drop from her eyes as she attempts to keep her crumbling façade on. Her speech worked. Everyone looks rather moved and nod together. This is good for me too as I am quite curious as to what Karol's Shadow could have possibly done...

* * *

Approaching the Palace today was quite queer... Not a single enemy in sight through any of the previous locations. Only cognitions playing the various rigged games. Queen is as unnerved as I am.

"Where did all the Shadows go...? Why would they all vanish?"

"I'm curious about this myself. We won't find the answers here. Let's get back to the high limit floor."

The party as a whole agrees and we make our way. We had already gone through the maze game. It is closed off due to damages as well. We're just a few chips away from gaining access to the manager's room. The only game left is an area called the Battle Arena. I believe it is self-explanatory.

We enter and with a Shadow is there to greet us behind a fenced counter. A small window is open between us to speak through.

 **"Welcome to the Battle Arena. The rules are quite simple. You pay to fight! You win, you earn your winnings, but if you lose... Well, if you survive, we'll allow you to go the local hospital. That is if you don't die on the way there."**

Fox looks to the group with disdain in his tone.

"How appropriate for a court... There used to be cases in history where two participating parties simply fought. Those who won were on the side of justice. Perhaps she has started to think the same."

Queen is in distress and it is quite annoying to deal with. The Shadow speaks again.

 **"Usually the fight is one on one with three rounds. However, we have a new feature implemented recently. A champion title match! Beat him, and you will be rewarded handsomely. You will all be able to participate in the fight. The cost of course is all of your chips."**

Oracle exclaims rather suddenly.

"Wh-What!? But we have so many! Will we win it back if we win?!"

 **"Of course!~ In truth, anyone can challenge the champ, even if they only have a sole chip left. The reasoning is that if one has everything to lose, then they have everything to gain, inspiring isn't it?'**

Queen scoffs shaking her head as she faces Joker.

"As if...! We should make sure we're prepared for either option. One on one sounds fair but we'll fight together against this champion. Joker?"

His decisions always interest me. It's as if he plays by his own rules at times. That kind of demeanor has drawn everyone in this group to him, even me. He takes the members card we've used and hands it over to the Shadow.

"You'll have new champions soon."

 **"Right this way then!"**

We enter following Joker's lead into a rather flashy arena. There are walls similar to a neon cage surrounding us; no other way out than the way we came in. Already we are met with boos and hisses from the crowd.

 **"Ladies and Gentlemen! I present to you, the Phantom Dweebs!~"**

Mona mumbles under his breath.

 _"That's real mature..."_

 **"However, they're all here, together to fight the champion himself! Put your hands together and stomp your feet, for Karol Capel!"**

Noir brought her axe out first as everyone else began to ready themselves.

"It's as we thought... If this is anything like last time we should be fine!"

A thick plume of fog and mist erupt ahead of us on the other end. The ground trembles before an overwhelming force makes itself known under the cover of the fog. A silhouette of a brawny intimidating figure stomps over to us. Oracle immediately enters her Persona and flies back.

"Gu-Guys...! I don't want to be the bringer of doubt, but these energy levels are pretty big! Like, WAY bigger than before, these readings _massive!_ "

Panther takes a step back as the figure begins to bulge out of the mist, smaller than his shadow entails, yet still larger than any of us.

"C'mon Oracle...! We all hit him last time! What was his weakness then? Anything?!"

A leg steps out. Formal attire similar to most of the Shadows we've seen. A much older gentleman with the build of a semi-truck walks out with an object far too big to be called a sword hanging on his back from a strap. It's too big, too thick, it is more like a heap of raw iron.

 **"You guys again? That's fine. I've gotten stronger, so this will be a great warm up, before I go hunt that freak Zagi down myself!"**

Even the voice sounds aged... But there is no denying the uncanny similarities. This is indeed Karol Capel. What an annoying situation I've found myself in.

"Analysis complete! Good news though, his only weakness, it's psychokinetic! ... Unfortunately he's resistant against everything else!"

Very. Annoying.

Joker immediately starts strategizing.

"Noir is our only chance on bringing him down. Let's give her an opening everyone. Don't let him even think of swinging that thing. Fox, work with Mona and draw his attention, freeze him in place. I want Panther and Crow to take away his sight. You don't need to hurt him, but make it bright as you both can, real bright. Queen and I will go for his arms. Noir will hit him and we'll finish this."

We all nod and jump right into the fight. The first thing we do is barrage him with gunfire. The hail of bullets practically bounce off of him. He holds his hands up as if he were being assaulted by flies, but that's fine, seeing as this is but phase one.

Panther and I summon our Personas at once aiming right between his arms. With the bullets acting as distraction, he can hardly react in time, growling loudly in anger as he covers his eyes.

Mona and Fox have a running start before sliding to Shadow Karol's legs, Fox kicks behind the knee as Mona simply slashes behind it, they jump back as the giant falls and Goemon freezes his legs in place. His arms are raised to most likely break the ice covering.

Joker and Queen will not allow this. Joker throws a bola at the Shadow's wrists before each of them takes hold of an arm. Unfortunately he tears the bola apart just after they wrap around his hands, and seizes both of them, striking their heads against each other repeatedly.

"Oh. That's bad."

I state. Mostly because that was a bad idea, so seeing the results were satisfying, though if not slightly worrying. Fox and Mona leap high to attack the arms. The Shadow reacts faster than ever before, releasing his targets and moving his hands up to grab the duo's blades, before slamming them over Queen and Joker. I can feel the impact across the ground so it may have done significant damage.

Then he swings his arms up sending all four of the party at me and Panther traveling at what I can only assume to be rocket speeds. That is because it is the only explanation for how I could have been hit by all of them. I hate to admit it, but he got all of us with a very simple but effective counter. Noir is our only defense as she dove to the side when we were launched. Oracle shouts out.

"Whoa! Wait-what!? When did you guys get all screwed?! I blinked and you went ass kicking to your asses kicked! Noir...?!"

"... I can do this! Everyone, be ready!"

Noir foolishly runs at the charging monster and stops center stage of the arenawith her Persona summoned. The "face" of her Persona is a mask, as it seemingly has no body despite occupying a gaudy ball gown. The mask hovers over her own face for a moment. She can be quite the drama queen.

Shadow Karol throws down a fist... And it misses. He falls with his eyes flashing bright colors. She gently holds his face and continues the mental assualt as we all stand to our feet. Oracle cam hardly believe it. I can hardly believe it honestly.

"She... She's got him subdued! Everyone! Hit him where it hurts _now_!"

That's the cue. One of the funnest things to do as a Phantom Thief, with the Phantom Thieves, is the act of an All Out Attack. Everything blurs as we reach our target and strike.

Imagine my overwhelming shock and disappointment when we are all knocked back.

Again.

The Shadow must have learned from our previous battle. It forcibly stood up as if on auto-run and took the blade resting on his back, swinging that thing faster than any living creature had a right to move. I swear something must have snapped in my body. From the sound of things the same could be said for the others. These Shadows from other world's are far too troublesome. As we stand, we see Shadow Karol standing over Noir threateningly, yellow eyes glow as he leans over with a hand out for her.

 **"You won't get the best of me so easily! I must learn from my mistakes! Just like..."**

She gasps and closes her eyes bracing for an attack with her arms raised. Instead of brutally bearing her like I expected, he takes a hand gently with this starry look in his eyes, like the child he actually is.

 **"I need to know your name! Please! It doesn't matter if you're a thief or whatever, or that you attacked me, I just want to spend my time with you!"**

"H-Huh?! Excuse me!?"

I want to vomit. I also want to laugh hysterically. Panther has to stop herself from chuckling while Noir remains flustered.

"I... Uh...! I'm flattered but... I-I don't like men who are into violence."

 **"..."**

The Shadow hurls the large weapon aside.

 **"Then I won't fight you! I'll defend myself but... I want to make you as happy as can be! Name whatever you want and I'll do it!"**

 ** _"KAROL! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING!"_**

There's the shrill barking that is Sae's Shadow... We look around and find her above the lights in the arena. Yes. _In_ the arena. Immediately gears turn in my head before I come up with a brilliant plan. It's a good thing we landed relatively close to each other. I whisper to the others.

"Everyone hear me out. We need Noir to seduce him! If we can use his own desires against him, perhaps we may be able to reach Sae-san above, and disconnect the platform lights to beat them both!"

Queen looks appalled.

"You want to crush him with that thing?! What if it kills him!"

Mona shakes his head and instead gestures to Noir who is suffering in stutter hell.

 _"No, he's too tough to let that beat him as he is, Crow is right. Besides, we need to beat the champion to proceed. Sae wouldn't allow Karol to die. Plus, we need to remove Karol from her Palace, there's something I want to test out."_

Oracle snickers as she transmit our conversation to Noir.

"You hear that, Beauty Thief! You gotta give us another opening!~ Work that charm!"

"Ah...! Right...! Ahem! I would like... To... Uhm-!"

 ** _"KAROL! CRUSH THEM ALREADY!"_**

Shadow Karol looks conflicted. Noir picks up on that and stands to her feet.

"I'd like to announce my defection from the Phantom Thieves! I now see that my dream and future lies in you, my love!"

 **"Wha-Really?"**

He pulls her up off the ground and into a hug.

 **"Yeaha!~ You picked me over them! I'm really happy!"**

"Nothing would make me happier than if you tossed me high as you can into the air!"

He spins her around as we heal each other with spells and a few snacks. Throwing her just high enough to reach the platform abovee where Shadow Sae sits with a disgusted expression. Probably due to the grenade launcher in Noir's hands. She fires and brings it down on top of the champion of the Battle Arena landing right on her feet.

At last I can adjust my gloves with a sigh and say.

"That was incredibly exhausting... Mona. You said we needed to take Karol's Shadow from here?"

 _"Y-Yeah... Though I didn't think you guys would be so excessive..."_

"What matters is we won, and without a single loss, even Noir made it."

Panther scoffs as we make our way to the wreckage. The same steam fills the area for a while... Steam? This gas didn't have a temperature before, but now it's undeniably hotter, which is bothersome.

"Next time try not to blow the damn place up! There he is!"

She points to Karol, though much smaller and unconscious, he's easy to pick up and run with, which Panther does so.

"We won the fight, right? Then let's get the hell up outta here!"

I personally make sure we get our card back... Thankfully, the transfer is made, it seems that today is a successful mission. As we leave the Palace the security level goes through the roof. It is as if the whole casino is on lockdown. We barely manage to escape in time.

* * *

My head feels light for a moment yet again. It must be with the weather or perhaps the stress of work has finally caught up with me.

"Sae? You okay?"

Karol says from the kitchen. He's quite good at menial labor and tasks like housekeeping and cooking. I can work with him around no matter how much noise he makes. Having him around simply makes life seem that much easier to live...

"I'm fine. Karol? You do want to go home, right?"

"Yeah... But I had to make up my mind when I came over. I'm here now so I guess I'm here for good. Why?"

"... I was thinking. After I finish with my findings here and we translate a few more of these words, how about we look up a school for you to attend while you're here."

"But school's boring!"

"A factor that doesn't matter. If you're here to stay you've got to assimilate to the functions of our society."

"Y-Yes ma'am...!"

He groans childishly before continuing with his chores. There's some kind of rise in me for some reason. I can't explain it but, it feels like something is missing, an important piece to an unseen puzzle... I'm sure it will pass soon.

* * *

Mona has the unique ability to transform into a van, it does get crowded in there with all of us, and having to wrestle with a child holding the strength God knows how many men is less than ideal. Thankfully, Sakamoto isn't here, Karol is quite small and dazed from the platform maneuver still, and Mona has rope we can tie him up with.

The Shadow awakens properly in Mementos, tied up and our guns trained on him, which if it weren't for prior experience would feel unnecessary. Queen starts the interrogation.

"What are you planning?"

 **"Me?! I was just living there! Sae let me stay!"**

"Don't lie to me. You did something that let her see you as part of her Palace. What was it!"

 **"I'm telling you, lady. I just wanted a place to live! I threw myself over to this world and didn't have anywhere to call home anymore!"**

I decide to take it from here.

"About that. Why? Why and how did you cross over from a world entirely separate from ours?"

 **"It's not separate... I think it's... Uh... We overlap each other? I wasn't paying attention back then. That psychopath Zagi came from nowhere and suddenly had the upper hand. My friends were in a bad spot- I HAD to throw myself at him and I ended up here!"**

"That's the real Karol's story to the T. However, why do _you_ exist? Why does he have a Shadow."

 **"I don't know! I don't know how any of this works! Why are we underground? There's way too many monsters down here!"**

We don't answer him. Instead, we start to whisper amongst each other. Queen leads the conversation.

"What do we do with him like this? He's been down in the depths before..."

Oracle scans him with her goggles.

"He's regaining strength at a rapid pace, so whatever we're doing, we gotta do it fast...!"

Fox looks to Noir expectantly.

"Noir, see if you can seduce him further, perhaps we can use him battle."

Mona seems rather pleased with the idea.

 _"Oho!~ Using that monstrous strength on the enemies would make Palaces a cake walk! He's more a brutish warrior than a stylish thief anyways."_

Panther scowls at them both with a harsh huff in their direction.

"You two are ridiculous! He's still just a kid, we can't hide behind him, right Queen?"

Queen rolls her neck with a sigh.

"He didn't look like a kid an hour ago..."

"I...! I-I mean... I guess! But look at him now! C'mon, Crow! What do you have to say?"

I have been thinking on this since my morning talk with Zagi. How Karol's heart needs to be strengthened. Perhaps this is one possible way.

"I have an idea. Karol is strong, both him and his Shadow, if anything I'd say it we should best learn how to incorporate him into the group."

Panther and Queen both gasp at my suggestion. It is an outrageous idea out of context... Noir begins to lower her weapon.

"What if Zagi attacks Sae's Palace again?"

I answer quickly.

"He won't if the boy is with us. Joker?"

They whole group looks to Joker for the final say. He pockets the gun with the rest following him.

"We are without muscle..."

No one argues against that claim. They truly must have cared for someone like Sakamoto after all. Noir steps up to Karol, lowering herself into a crouch, she starts to untie him.

"I know we hurt you and kidnapped you, but would you consider fighting with us, please?"

 **"What do I get out of it?"**

"Ahm...? My eternal gratitude!"

 **"** I **want something tangible! Dont think less of me because I'm a kid!"**

Noir looks back for aid. It isn't hard for some of us. In fact Panther is quick to respond.

"Maybe a toy will do! You like action figures?"

 **"What the Hell did I just goddamn say!?"**

Mona scratches his head... I think? He has paw stub hands so it's hard to tell.

 _"Why not just buy the kid out?"_

 **"I'm already richer than most of adults in this country!"**

Queen sighs with a hand over her face.

"That's not even an exaggeration at this point... What about food! A growing boy like you would be starving after a fight like that."

 **"I would, and Sae would feed me tons, but I'm not hungry right now so you're out of luck."**

Fox rubs his chin.

"Though I am not unfamiliar with it, boys his age prefer action manga, shonen if I'm correct!"

 **"A comic book!? What makes you think I want that?! I told you guys to quit treating me like a kid and now I'm really about to kick your asses!"**

I won't lie. The transparency here is astounding and a beating seems only right. However, saying so would also prove hypocritical, as most of my suggestions were of the same notion. Oracle then giggles mischievously and looks to Joker.

"Hey. Hey! Listen!~ I'm pretty sure we all know what he wants. Right Joker?"

Joker nods with a similar smile.

"If you join us, you get have Noir's first kiss."

This is so juvenile... I almost wish I were frequenting Zagi's Palace than be here at the moment. Although... There is a certain charm to the antics of the Phantom Thieves.

Noir of course is stunned silent while everyone else is rightly flabbergasted. Shadow Karol is the most surprising.

 **"No Deal! I don't want something that priceless taken from her in a dumb deal like this! She's better than that! If you guys are THAT desperate than I'll just join! Consider it an alliance, I guess."**

He struggles a bit and puffs up with a flex before the rope simply falls off of him. Mona deadpans with me and Fox.

 _"What th- He untied them?!"_

"All that work into such a masterful knot... Undone in mere minutes."

"I'm not sure if this feeling is disappointment in us for how easy he did or in the fact that he did it all..."

The Shadow shrugs and drops the rope.

 **"Just so you guys know, I'm kinda unarmed here, so unless you want me tearing things up with my hands I'm not fit for fighting!"**

Panther beats me to asking the most obvious question.

"Where's your bag? Didn't that thing have... Everything?"

 **"That thing? It's for show down here. My weapon does all the work. It changes form to suit my needs. Unfortunately... You douchebags kidnapped me without it!"**

Noir pouts with a huff as she points accusingly at him.

"You threw it away!"

 **"Because you told me to!"**

"I-! ... I did... Right."

 **"It should be easy to go back and get anyways. None of those fake guards are around anymore. Killed them all since they kept attacking me."**

That grabs our attention. Mona himself explains it quite clearly.

 _"So the Shadows of Sae's Palace still registered him as a threat...! But since Sae herself didn't, that means when he went around exterminating them-"_

Oracle finishes for him by rudely interrupting.

"Not a single Shadow was replaced. In fact, it sounds like a symbiotic relationship, Karol destroys the Palace Rulers defense then replaces it for shelter, that's incredible...! Infiltrating should be a cinch!"

Fox then brings the two back to reality before they get starry eyed.

"We did forcibly remove him though. It's most likely that she's on high alert with him stolen from her. What do we do then?"

... I know what I can do to take advantage of the situation. I just have to be careful with the drastic measures I am about to take.

"Leave the Palace to me. Everyone else should stay away for a day or two. Let her fall back to a normal routine."

Everyone is up in arms about the idea but I raise my hands with a laugh.

"Don't worry! I have a secret skill I've been keeping under wraps until now! A surprise tool that will help us out later... I'll see you all in a few days!"

I run before they can protest. I don't have a lot if time and I don't care what they decide to do with the boy's Shadow. I need a weapon that can cut through seamlessly into endless numbers.

I need Zagi.


	9. A Friend

Zagi has proven to be a useful tool. You see, when entering or leaving Mementos, we must leave Sae's Palace for reality. Once there, we journey to Shibuya Crossing to the entrance for the underground subway system. This mean that on my journey back to her Palace, I can utilize my cellphone once more, which is rendered mostly useless in the Metaverse. I receive a text from him. It says to look behind me.

Before I can I feel the familiar arm wrap around my shoulders and broken yet eager voice of my ally.

"Hey!~ I got news for you! I did as you suggested. Palace is empty and she's suffering from withdrawals. You'd think she just had her son stolen from her..."

"That was quick... What about that list I gave you? Have you started taking care of some of our, erasables?"

"About that!"

He lowers his voice into a whisper then. Glancing around, as I do too seeing the judging looks of the common people, his mouth twists upwards in a gleeful smile.

"I had an idea... We both know I'm no law abiding citizen. So why not we use that to boost you up even further?"

I roll my eyes. Inwardly catching myself for letting my emotion crack through. Zagi has made it a habit of trying to break my mask.

"What are you getting at?"

"The more people are aware of you, good or bad, the more power and presence you have in that other world. Right?"

"That is my understanding as well..."

"Then... A young ace detective cop, taking down an upcoming mafia boss with wit, tact, grit and honest evidence should make you go from celebrity star to a media god...!"

That takes my attention. Zagi could definitely do such a thing. However, to gather a force like that, and be recognizable from the public gallery?

"What's your goal here...? Why would you think up something that would take months, few years even, to plan methodically just for me?"

"Oh no, no, no!~ We can do this in a month. Japan is going through a crime wave further fueled by vacuum of power that everyone is trying to take advantage of... Crime needs a leader to strike fear into the public-"

He lightly taps my tie as he spoke to me in a rather sensual tone that made my skin crawl.

"- and the public needs a savior to bring them hope... I'll gather a small but loud force. We say we're gonna go after bald man. You, investigatin' us, manage to stop us in time. Bald man holds you just a bit closer after my _betrayal_ and you're one step closer to your goal..."

"And what are my goals, hm?"

"Oh I told you, Goro. We killers? We understand each other. Everything I do I have a reason."

No one ever uses my first name like that. No one but Shido and the woman I knew as mother... I fall, conflicted, with both this and the news of Shido being unaware. It feels like he has eyes everywhere now... I have become his eyes.

"... Shido... Is unaware...?"

I don't know why this surprises me. Zagi is unpredictable. It really is like he can do as he pleases. I gulp... Then nod.

"You'll be putting yourself in harm's way. I may even have to kill you."

He leans away from me. Pats my back and proceeds to walk away.

"A friend to me is someone who is my equal... Prove yourself to me as I will to you."

There was. Sincerity in his voice then. An emotion I thought he was without. Zagi truly is someone I can't get a read out of... But he knows who I am. What I am. He respects and values the real me... Understands me.

Or perhaps this is exactly what he wants me to think.

I don't have time to think on this now I have to focus on my goal. My desire, to kill that man who has wronged me from the start, the man who has made me who I am today... I arrive at the courthouse. Right now, the Phantom Thieves would be far too tired to chase me down, but I have far more experience with delving into the Metaverse. My body and mind are adjusted to it's effects. I ready my phone for entry.

"Akechi."

Sae stands before me. Waiting. Foot tapping and arms folded with that familiar scowl. Back to her old self it seems.

"Yes, Sae-san?"

"That man you were talking with. Who was he?"

"Y-You saw that-!"

"Who. Was he."

"An associate. I'm merely making connections. He's a very complicated fellow."

"Be honest with me. He looks like trouble and I worry for your safety as of late."

"I assure you, I will not be admitted into any hospitals anytime soon."

"I'm worried you'll be killed by Terca Lumireis' deadliest assassin."

My heart has sinks to the pit of my stomach. Was she listening to my interrogation with Karol? My mask is unmoving from my pleasant smiling façade.

"Terca...? I'm afraid I'm not sure I understand, Sae-san."

"That night in the hospital you and Karol spoke about an assassin from his world named Zagi. An assassin who has assualted him time and time again."

Her glare narrows with her brows furrowed as she leans forward.

"Having met him often enough in life or death scenarios, Karol gave me a specific description of his person, one I am here to give to the police. I don't have anything on him yet... But we both know I don't have to wait for long."

Damn this irritable woman and her stubborn nature. She's as much of a thorn in my side as are the Phantom Thieves. However, she is nowhere near as cunning.

"... I concede, Sae-san. I can't hide much of anything from you."

"You admit that man was Zagi-?"

"No. I admit that I know who he is. An associate of mine. A contact on the other end of the criminal underworld. He's just a thug looking to seize power through connections. It's underhanded, but for the greater good, some arms must be twisted. Wouldn't you agree?"

"..."

I know she threatened Sakura-san with his custody over Futaba Sakura. She's pushed her way around police and egged Okumura on a false lead with the framing of Kobayakawa's death; the principal of Shujin Academy who was tasked with finding the Phantom Thieves. A useless man.

Sure, Sae doesn't know his death is framed, but as she is she wouldn't care. It shows on her face that she agrees with me despite her silence.

"He has eyes and ears in places I wish we could investigate. I merely have to keep an eye on him so he doesn't grow too ambitious."

I lower my voice to a whisper and take out my phone as I continue to lie.

"I already have a few addresses where our masked assailant has been seen. His crime is far too big to keep under wraps for long... If we let the public know he's out there-"

She snaps at me then.

"He could use that against us! The monsters are bad enough but this is on a whole other level. Karol can't fight someone like Zagi-"

"And he won't have to. Don't underestimate my skills or believe I'm beneath some child. Or are you too used to hiding behind him that you can't do anything on your own?"

Sae has been many things in my eyes. None of which were vulnerable. This is the first time I have ever seen her trip over herself. Lost. Scared.

"You aren't there when he...! I do not hide behind him! He simply... Have you seen him?"

That comes as a another surprise.

"He isn't with you? It was my understanding that you had all but legally adopted him."

"I was attacked by our masked assailant. He threw me around, said he had a list of targets, and used my own evidence against me when I attempted to... Shout him down. In a blink of an eye everything reverted back as if the exchange hadn't occurred."

The Metaverse. He must have discovered her being Karol's keeper and investigated to find him not there. It's a miracle she's alive. That was a smart move using his Shadow so she couldn't see his face... But she still figured it out.

"I haven't seen Karol at all today. Not since the hospital."

"I want to call him again... I called him to hide and not come back. Not until I can assure him it's safe to return."

"Safe... Sae-san. You said you were assaulted but when he left there were no signs of his presence?"

"That's right."

"Then, perhaps I was wrong all along. From our investigation, our research, then the Phantom Thieves could be followers of Zagi. Perhaps, acting as leader, he could be displaying a show of might and control: He and the Phantom Thieves are justice."

It's utter horse pop. It doesn't need to be true or even make sense. What matters is that Sae becomes distorted. Her heart must twist into a gnarled root once more. Connecting the Phantom Thieves and Zagi will only drive her to this. She has lost sight of her case for too long.

To make this personal is the perfect means. A target on her back, by extension her sister, and an even larger target on Karol? I bet she's dying where she stands now. I can tell by the sweat beading down her brow. That hateful face and stressful aura radiating from her once more. Sae is back to her twisted self. My plan has yet to alter.

"Review the video we found and compare it to the photos of the crime scene. I want results, Akechi."

"Right away, ma'am."

I bow and take my leave quickly. The smile on my face beneath my mask breaks through as I turn my back to her. Zagi and I met through a strange extreme. I had assumed him to be my undoing, yet every action, the results of his chaotic run has benefit me in the end. As I think on it now it is rather intriguing... He is to me as Karol is to Sae.

... I cannot let him do that to me.

I must keep my distance without him knowing. Not until I completely understand his psyche. His mind. I may infiltrate his Palace once again. For now, I am bring summoned by Shido.

I arrive at his penthouse shortly. The office he spends so much of his time in. Entering without so much of a knock, I see he's not alone either, someone not a woman. I can see a small figure hiding behind him.

"I've been looking for you. I need your services yet again. I can't trust this to anyone else."

He looks back with a reassuring hushed tone. Like a father.

"It's okay to come out, boy. You're safe here."

There's a small whine before Karol steps into view. Not even my mask can hide the shock in my eyes as I see the last person I'd expect by Shido's (of all people) side. He relaxes as he sees me though.

"Y-You...! You're-"

"Hello again. I'm surprised to see you with or future Prime Minister."

"He was in trouble! The scariest monster I've ever seen! I-I could barely move!"

That catches me by surprise. I look to Shido who nods with the a hand rubbing his temple.

"It seems not even I am safe from this invasive force that bleeds into our world. Allow me to fill in some blanks, detective..."

* * *

 _When I look at this city I see sea; a series sinking ships and buildings holding rats. Clinging to meager breaths of life that could be used better. More efficiently. I will be the sole savior of this entire country if not it's sole survivor. I will be the one to crush any building, destroy any obstacle, and obliterate any person or group foolish enough to oppose me. To step in the way of my goals is to commit suicide._

 _The police understand this. The politicians know this. The people eat the dirt off of my steps wherever I walk. There is no power in this world that I can't have or can defy me... Not without consequence._

 _That changed with knowledge of these otherworldly entities._

 _I can't afford to lose favor of the people now. Not yet. I know exactly who to get to solve this type of thing. A good plan adapts to the current situation no matter how many changes._

 _"What the Hell!?"_

 _My outburst is a result of my incompetent driver abruptly stopping the car. I shortly understand why as I look ahead at the dark road. All the lights around save for the car headlights flicker. The area is deathly quiet with only the idle sounds of hooves striking the ground. Armor rustling with small movements. The soft crackling of flames like a campfire._

 _Before me standing in the middle of a narrow road in some godforsaken neighborhood is a monster ripped out of a horror novel._

 _A rusted armored knight with the head exposed, a skull that stares at me with infernal fire, blazing furioisly from the eye sockets. A blood stained serrated glaive in hand while riding a crimson steed. It's mane looks oily and wet, flowing as i hear droplets of the liquid, but it can't be something so absurd. It speaks without moving the lower jaw with a ghostly reverb to a low whispering tone._

 _ **"I challenge you to a duel."**_

 _My response is silence. I answer to no one. My driver pulls out his issued handgun sweating nervously._

 _"What are you waiting for? Remove this trash from my presence!"_

 _"S-Sir...! It's just that-"_

 _"That What!?"_

 _"! U-Uh...! He... He came out of nowhere! Look how huge he is! That's a demon out there!"_

 _"Don't be fooled. He's just further away from us is all. Using the weather like a coward, this fog is unbearable, and it's the dead of night."_

 _"An-And the lights?"_

 _"Clearly this is all a light show for some atmospheric effect."_

 _"But still-!"_

 _"Your fear has gotten the better of you. This is all an elaborate trick, I assure you. The only demon you will be facing is the one behind you if you do not work"_

 _"...! Y-Yes sir...!"_

 _He leaves the car pointing his gun out at this role-playing moron. I shout from my window now rolled down._

 _"Don't bother with a warning shot. The people around will just chalk this up to the criminal wave sweeping the city."_

 _"Yes sir!"_

 _He fires and the bullet hits the chest with a spark. Not even so much as a dent. The horse walks forward revealing the true size of this freak. Indeed, a real giant, my bodyguard being one hundred and nintey-eight centimeters is dwarfed by the mere leg of the equine. The leg._

 _He fires to empty his magazine. The bullets ricochet off of him and the horse's hide. He shrieks like a woman as the large assailant reaches down for him. His head seized as the knight lifts him off the ground and slams him repeatedly against the car roof. It dents further with each swing. Windows break; the car trembles with each strike._

 _I am admittedly impressed by this display of strength. This slight admiration turns into full-fledged fear as he drops the new corpse to rip the damaged roof right off. It raises the ornate weapon with a deep breath. The flames in the eyes lean back as if being sucked in before he breathes a plume of it out onto the blade. The weapon catches fire and points to me._

 _ **"You are said to be the most powerful man. I challenge you to a duel."**_

 _"I decline your request! You show out of nowhere without a name or reason to kill me out of an arbitrary whim!?"_

 _I stumble out from the car door behind me and begin to flee. This... Bastard. This ghostly freak will rue this day._

 _I just have to live long enough myself to see to that day._

 _I can hear the horse chasing after me and look back. My eyes unconsciously widen as I see my imminent demise approach me. The undead knight lowers his glaive low to hit the ground. It swings upwards, dragging the edge against the road, sending a fiery blaze right for me._

 _It flies far too fast for me to dodge it. Hitting my back with such force I am tackled to the ground by the roarimg flames. Most of it dies out before it can spread; I feel my back being burned intensely. I remove my jacket at once._

 _A slash mark is where my spine would be. A burning hole that incinerates the rest of the jacket slowly. It is as if the very flames had mouths to eat away at anything it could burn._

 _I could not be hit by an attack like that again. If I am. I'll die._

 _ **"A coward in the face of adversity? A fox that flees back to the hole, a snake that slithers back to the nest, waiting for a moment to strike? Then flee, fool!"**_

 _He's letting me go? This isn't too bad._

 _ **"You wish to die as prey than as man, so be it! Run! Run my little rabbit! I will skewer you alive!"**_

 _This is far worse..._

 _I run down the street fast as my body may take me. Could take me. I have to make it out of here! This revenant can't be what kills me! It isn't fair-!_

 _"Ah! Dammit!"_

 _I fall to my hands tripping over myself in my fearful flight. This felt the end... I turn around to see the spectral nightmare tower over me with no mercy or remorse in the blazing eyes. Weapon held high like lightning ready to cut me down... I thought my life flashed before my eyes..._

 _There was a flash. Sparks as metal meets metal with a sound clang. A child, a mere small boy, pushed back this huge warrior with a giant axe of a dangerous black and red design. He swings again with the blunt side of the axe for the horse's rear. The long handle of the weapon barely allows this and sends the horse away in a fearful rage. Wildly thrashing around into the distance as the knight struggles just to stay on._

 _We stay still in silence as the boy shivers while putting away the weapon in a bag slung around his chest. He turns to me pale and frightened with a thumb to his chest._

 _"Y-Yo-You're safe for now, sir! Are you okay? I heard your shout and..."_

 _"I'm fine. Who are you?"_

 _"Karol Capel! I'm a monster hunter... I'm homeless at the moment but that just means no parents to stop me from doing what I do!"_

 _"No... Parents...? that watery creature in Shibuya Crossing. The giant bird that attacked Shujin. Even that horned horse running around in Central Street. You killed those monsters?"_

 _"Yeah... I-I gotta go chase down... That one... Stay safe!"_

 _He turns away with prolonged steps as he mumbles to himself._

 _"Man... If I weren't so hungry... I'd have puked from fear...! What kind of monster WAS that...?!"_

 _"Hold it right there."_

 _He barely manages a third step before i stop him. I stand to my feet wearing a winning smile and offer my hand to him._

 _"Masayashi Shido. I owe you for saving my life. I'm sure I can find you somewhere to stay."_

* * *

"He is a very reliable ally. I didn't think you two had already met."

A smile appears on my mask as I give Karol a friendly gesture.

"He was key into finding our suspect for that gruesome crime scene."

His eyes widen before moving between the boy and myself. Silently asking for confirmation. A subtle nod is all I need to give for him to understand the importance Karol possesses.

It's this ability we share, this intricate skill to read others that allows to near communicate without a word in but mere moments, this connection between us is deep.

I cannot wait to sever it.

Shido scoffs with his haughty tone.

"Is that so? Then he's been a help to us before our own meeting. We have a lot of business ahead of us, detective. Come along, Karol."

"Y-Yes sir! Don't you have a speech to do? Won't that monster come after you then?"

"I've got a star monster hunter right by my side. The conference isn't but a week from now."

"A week... I've been here for almost that long..."

"Ah yes. Your homeworld. Well, when all is said and done, we'll discuss things then. Until that moment you will be staying with me."

Karol solemnly nods. I can see it already. Shido has unknowingly invited Karol's Shadow into his Palace. The bald opportunist holds his head with a calm sigh.

"Detective. I am entrusting you with the task of eliminating the threat before us. Our country depends on us."

"Yes sir."

I do not bow to scum. I merely nod to them both before leaving disgruntled. Livid. Absolutely furious. My face burns with skin turning red. If Karol acts as Shido's defense there's no hope of me enacting my truest revenge. If I cannot even get to him. Every life I've taken, every crime I've done, every step to this moment would be for goddamn waste. I can not have that be. * _I refuse!_ *

"You know how I hate waitin', Goro Akechi!~"

Oh Dear God, this asshole. Zagi stands in the elevator with his smug snide grin and hands in pockets. There are few stains on his face... It's mostly wiped away.

I then realize Karol is only a few feet away. I can not let him know.

"I already know the kid is with Shido. He is _with_ Shido right now. Right?"

"... You... Planned this?"

"Course!~ I told you in this very elevator, I needed the kid to have a strong heart, nothing about being righteous. I'm hopin' bald man will rub off of him. Bloat up the kid's ego. I did send my shadow monster after him."

My mask shatters. My face is pale and revealed in all stunned stupor. He pulls a hand out and pulls me by my tie into the elevator with him. His knuckles are bruised and bleeding from a fight. The gloves are destroyed.

"C'mere! C'mere! I'll tell you all about it."

"Please do explain. I am not pleased so this better be good."

"Remember-"

He abruptly pulls one of his swords out still wet with blood. Not being accustomed to this I jump with my back hitting the wall as he cuts open a tear to the Metaverse again.

"I can go in and out as I please. I can also take things out with me. So, when I realized the brat was on his own, I knew I had to act."

"So the monster Karol managed to escape from... That was of your doing...?!"

"Straight from my Palace!~ I can't kill Karol yet... So I rigged the whole debacle. Couldn't supervise the whole thing though since I was busy."

He pauses with a dumb face. Confused as the tear vanishes. He then whips the blade in my direction pointing the tip at me.

"Oh yeah. I left more of those cards at a dive bar with a heap of a mess. I got thirty men gathered under my name though. Expect a bit of public press."

"How many men did you kill...?"

"Only eight! Color gangs, Red Vipers, Cobalt Killers, Green Bankers, all those chumps work for me."

I... I'm actually in awe. Individually those gangs are nothing more than school bullies. Low level drug dealers. At highest on the food chain, hired enforcers, no better than some thug with a bit of muscle. What is amazing is that he subjugated them all. In one day. I am still quite peeved about one matter. I compose and adjust myself as my face displays grave disappointment.

"Impressive, yes. However, are you aware that by having Karol be connected to Shido will make infiltrating his Palace impossible?"

 _ **"I could kill Karol Capel at any time I want."**_

I lean back against the wall again. That murderous intent. It seizes my heart still.

"I know what he did at his surrogate mommy's headspace. I understand it plenty. Me and myself watched him clear the whole casino."

"Your Shadow...!"

I forgot that he is completely aware and in control of it. No. That it acts autonomously, working with the real Zagi in unison, and I am seeing the results of such a frightening ability. He nods and continues after pressing the button for the first floor.

"It's a simple plan that came to mind. Forge a relationship between the kid and bald man. Make the kid feel needed, important, special. Then, when it comes time, reveal bald man's true nature to him."

"And when that happens they'll turn on each other...!"

"Karol will be so filled with raw emotions he'll have little choice but to tap into the power we share. Bald man will be without any defense. **Both of them will be open for our picking."**

"... Everything you do you do it for a reason. Correct?"

He smiles at me with that awkward attempt of being friendly. There's something genuine about it. The fact that it looks so forced and broken... As if whatever he feels towards me is all too new to him. It is new to me as well.

"Exactly!~ But! That's why you're a key player! Not a piece, or an item, another entity in the game. I need you, Goro. I need you to keep doing what you do. And when the time comes for us to confront each other..."

"I won't hesitate to kill you."

It's the honest truth. I would kill him. Smiling. In His face. Bullet in his head or blade in his back. My face. My true face meets his crazed eyes as I glare at him awaiting a retort to my promise.

He takes my hand with both of his. Clasped together with a haggard breath and shuddering tearless sob. Happiest I've ever seen him as he bounced up and down slowly.

 _"And that's why you're my only friend...!~"_

He releases me wiping his eyes with the door opening to the public front lobby. His usual tired yet eager look on his face returning. Like a mask that he wears.

"Good talk!~ Glad we had that heart to heart. Now let's get out there and get to business!"

"Zagi..."

He walks away waving at me without looking. Vanishing into the crowd as I reach out to him. This isn't right... Someone like him. Isn't supposed to be like me. Are we truly two sides of one coin? ... There is one thing I cannot deny now. I feel a bond with him. A bond that I cannot help but treasure.


	10. Skull and Bones

We went to go visit Ryuji today. It's some time after forcing Karol's Shadow out of Sae's Palace. When Akechi up and left without warning, we were left in so much confusion we didn't know what to do, so we just left seeing as Shadow Karol decided to stay at the entrance to Mementos. We received a text from Akechi "advising" us to lay low for the next few days. Our days are numbered on one hand. If we don't take Sae's heart by the end of this week things will get hairy.

We headed into the front desk trying to visit him but we found his mom there instead, crying. Ryuji is gone. Ann and Haru are stunned before fright takes all of our hearts.

"Ryuji is... He's missing?"

"S-Sakamoto-kun could hardly breathe when we last saw him! How could this happen?! Weren't his wounds too grave...?"

Makoto covers her mouth while Yusuke looks to the ground with no words to say.

"There's no way that this could be possible... Not without help."

"... Ngh."

Futaba holds my arm tight as I thank the nurse at the front desk.

"He was in critical condition... We were all so busy trying to escape we forgot to heal him on the way here. I... I can't...!"

"Let's head back to LeBlanc."

No one says anything for what feels like an eternity. Ann shakes her head.

"I'll meet with you all later. Someone has to be there for... Her."

She gestures to Ryuji's mom. She hasn't ceased sobbing since we entered the building. I nod and lead the party back to the café. We have to be extra careful. The hunt for the Phantom Thieves is real, as is the rise in crime, so much so that muggings and assaults happen in broad daylight. Luckily we make it to Yongen-Jaya safely. Makoto is the first to speak.

"I've come to a terrifying theory. It's possible that the one who's been causing us so much strife lately isn't just responsible for Ryuji's disappearance, but may also know our identities."

The air in the room becomes dry. A soft yet awful droning in the air as the awful thought festers in our minds. Yusuke brings a hand over his face.

"Impossible...! We've only ever faced him once."

Futaba wags a finger at everyone with a defiant scowl.

"Exactly! Just the one time! We used codenames, none of us accepted his request to infiltrate his Palace, we've never even met the guy in reality!"

"That we know of. Listen-"

Makoto interjects with harshly.

"I understand the points made but consider. He has a **Palace.** Not a **Persona.** From experience this would mean he would have even less of an idea of our identity. Karol only found out because he was quite literally next to us."

Haru gasps and nods as if a memory resurfaces.

"His bag...! But, why would Zagi's Shadow attack Niijima-san's Palace?"

"Karol. It all comes back to him. My theory is, the two are connected, like this game of cat and mouse. Wherever Karol goes, Zagi follows, he even said so inside the casino that Karol holds the key to his Treasure. Death."

Morgana pokes his head out with a worried tone.

 _("Okay so the creep has a creepy relationship with the kid. We kind of knew this already. How does this go into him knowing our identities?")_

"Consider what I just said... Is it not possible, that he was in the crowd much like how Akechi found us out, following us after recognizing Karol's bag?"

No one had a retort to that. Just wide eyes as Makoto continues.

"Not to mention I'm sure you've all heard about how Sis wants me to stay somewhere else as of late. I thought she was kicking me out of our home... However, I overheard her the other night, and learned she had been attacked by Zagi. She even described his mask. The attire of his Shadow. This means she either entered the Metaverse, or was dragged in without being aware, either way this is the catalyst for my theory... It's this theory that has me believe Zagi has taken Ryuji from us. Joker? Thoughts?"

Silence. No one wants to say anything. No one can. They look to me in search of something. Anything.

We realize no one is in the right mindset for today, and we still have school tomorrow. It's gotten late and so we all go our separate way. Yusuke takes to his dorm. Makoto now stays with Haru since Sae was assaulted by Zagi. Even Futaba leaves. Morgana slips out of my school bag with a grunt.

 _("What a mess. Do you think Ryuji's okay? You don't suppose he's... dead?")_

I don't answer. It's hard to. I just can't think of anything. Morgana notes my silence and intense expression.

 _("... Even you don't know everything, huh?")_

"... Morgana. If Ryuji was taken by someone like Zagi, we would know, but only because he would want us to know."

 _("Huh? Why would you say that?")_

"If I was a sociopathic murdering psychopath seeking death through life-threatening thrills... I'd want the whole world to know who I was and why I did it. I would make my debut and my finale big as possible. If I were Zagi. I'd be lonely. So, I would grab everyone's attention in such a way, they'd have no choice but to acknowledge me."

 _(_ _"Wow... You sound like you've been giving it a lot of thought! Why didn't you say anything during the meeting?")_

"Because they'd ask what would my next move be as Zagi and I am scared to know the answer then. I just know that whatever it is, things are going to get messy, because I would try to set the whole city on fire."

 _("You'd get everyone's attention all at once with that... Well no matter what happens you'll have to play the good student still. Try and get some rest for school.")_

I try to do just that. I can't get a wink of sleep in. I'm too busy thinking about everyone. From Ryuji's disappearance, to Kawakami's other job or Takemi's evening hours, Mishima's late night activities or Iwai's shop, Ohya's drinking and Chihaya fortune telling, Hifumi's shogi lessons and Yoshida's speeches, even Shinya's Gun About techniques. Everyone is on my mind and in my heart. I can feel the bonds I hold with them swelling... Everyone except Ryuji. It's as if our bond has been severed. This sensation frightens me greatly. It's only surpassed at the thought of losing anyone else.

* * *

Troublesome. Absolutely troublesome. Leaving school so late that _I_ have to lock up due to a sudden staff leave. I bet they're just running away from the sudden monster rage in the city. Not like any of that is actually real, right? Well, probably no more real than the Phantom Thieves.

Maybe I should leave town too?

Nah. Besides, I have more important things to worry about, like how I'm going to get home safely. Assaults and muggings have risen so fast. Something must have happened since the police are almost overwhelmed with all the crime going on...! Like the whole city has gone psychotic.

Really it's just a few areas, like crime hot spots or something, but one of those is right where I live! No one to escort me or anything like that... How am I going to get home to change for my _other_ work?

"Hey there, momma. Lockin' up the school pretty late ain'tcha?"

Crap... I don't want to turn around. I can hear several footsteps already coming near me.

"Huh... I always wanted a piece of my teacher."

"Older women was never my mind of thing but you'll do."

"Boss wants every victim gutted boys. Gotta spread a message."

"Sorry lady. It's your life or ours. Nothing personal."

Turning slowly as I start to breathe heavily. A group of men carrying weapons, such as knives and barbed clubs. Their faces are obscured by masks. I can see the bizarre stare in their freaky eyes. I quickly fumble with my purse before pulling out my phone. They don't stop me.

"Ooh!~ What're we gonna do boys?"

"Give them pigs a call, we dare ya!"

"Go ahead and scream too. We're actually hoping for the attention."

These men are out of their mind. I'm frozen in fear from their confidence. That's when it happened. The screaming. Shrieks of terror ring like church bells throughout the city. It's utter chaos. The men start to advance upon me too until one stumbles into another with a grunt.

"Fuckin-!? A rock?! Who the hell-?!"

They turn their heads, I do too, to see Mishima readying to throw another rock with his whole body quaking. The men all laugh save for the one assaulted. He pulls out a chain with a hook at the end. Whipping it around before lashing it at my student.

"Stop that right now! Mishima! Run!"

One of the maniacs slaps me across the cheek sending me to the ground. They quickly crowd and surround Mishima as those with clubs beat him while the others kick him. I cry and shout for help. They're going to kill one of my own students in front of me. I can't afford to lose another one...

I close my eyes to spare myself the sight. What else can I do without getting killed myself? I hear shouting, screaming, fighting and things being broken. It all becomes quiet. Too quiet. Even the surrounding screams have ceased. I scream as hands grab my shoulders.

"Kawakami-sensei! I-It's okay! We're going to be okay!"

"Mishima-!?"

My eyes fly open to see Mishima mostly unharmed, few bruises here or there, but miraculously in one living piece.

"We've been saved...! He's right over there... You should have seen it!"

"What are you talking about?!"

He points off to the side in the direction of a street littered with unconscious and even broken psychopaths. I do mean broken. Limbs bent backwards and few jaws hang loose. Only two individuals are on their feet. One obscured by the shadows of the night while the other, the guy with the hook and chain, is being beaten by the former. It's brutal. Barbaric. Justified. The bastard under assault begs and whimpers from broken teeth with arms weakly raised in vain defense. He's released and falls to the ground coughing up blood. Still alive like the others.

The mystery man stands there in eerie silence. A flash of light exposes him for a moment. A skull helmet that covers the whole head.

It's all I could make out before he walks away with his hands in his pockets. I glare irritated at Mishima who puts his phone away.

"Why is the flash on your camera on...?!"

"S-So-Sorry...! But you have to admit! I gotta good shot! Look!"

He shows me the photo he took with his phone. Dark jacket with armored sleeves and elbows. Steel boots and black pants. He looks like nothing but trouble. A slasher movie film villain. I can't understand why someone like that would save us... Speaking of us.

"Mishima, you have some explaining to do!"

"H-Huh?!"

"Throwing yourself into danger like that, what was going through your head, you have a life with a potential future ahead of you!"

"I-I couldn't just leave!"

"Yes you could have! Don't ever be so foolish again! What are you even doing up so late?!"

"W-Well... I couldn't sleep. I got worried about so many things I had to take a walk to clear my head. Before I knew it the whole city goes nuts so I try to stay out of trouble. But when I found you about to be hurt I-I-!"

He's still shaken up over the whole thing. He's never been one for bravery... Or anything outstanding. Sometimes he just fades into the grey background. So I must admit, I hold a modicum of pride in him, even if what he did was utterly idiotic. He offers a hand. I think he was still talking.

"I couldn't run away and leave you behind... It's not what a Phantom Thief would do!"

"Are you a Phantom Thief?"

"N-No... But I know that they save those in need and punish the bad guys... Kind of like that guy just now."

I scoff at that. No way a guy _that_ violent could be apart of the Phantom Thieves. They seem way too hands off rather than hands on. I do take Mishima's hand as he pulls me up. He does nearly fall down with me instead but, it's the thought that counts.

"Don't compare yourself to masked thugs, Mishima. You can be better than that."

"Kawakami-sensei... The trains are still running. I could walk you home."

"Huh? Where's that coming from?"

"Y-You don't have anyone to keep you safe right now, and I'm too scared to go on alone, so I figured it'd be better for us both to stick together for now!"

Still cowardly... But this is a step up from what he used to be like when Kamoshida was around. He really has started to grow up. I take lead with a dismissive wave.

"Don't get left behind and stay within my line of sight, okay?"

"Yes ma'am!"

* * *

Seeking shelter in my favorite bar in the city is a daily thing for me. Seeking sanctuary from a violent citywide riot full of ferocious criminals is not something that happens every Thursday. Crossroads is just a small but homely bar for the average person to unwind and relax. A break from the monotony of the daily grind. It was never supposed to house all these scared people, let alona scared and confused with access to liquor, but Lala-chan let them in. It's his- er. * _Her_ * shop.

Plenty of us are wondering where the police are, any form of law enforcement, but I know better. I overheard a fleeing officer. They were ordered to pull back.

What sick bastard would want the entire city under siege by lunatics in freak outfits?! The more I ask myself, the more my mind rushes with theories and possible questions, which all accumulates into fury as I keep getting interrupted by the mewlings of fearful people. Enough is enough.

"I'm going to get to the bottom of this, Lala-chan! Don't try to stop me!"

"Ohya! Don't be stupid girl!"

The owner of the place and probably the closest thing I have to a friend these days tries to chase after me. Unfortunately for her, I'm far closer to the door, and faster than her by a long shot.

Immediately I feel regret as I find a pack of freaks howling just outside on the street. One even throws a moltov into one of the stores quickly starting the burning of the whole building just adjacent to me. My first instinct is to run.

I do just that by taking cover just under the stairs beside the door, a stone fence keeps me mostly hidden, allowing me to lean out and aim my camera to take shots of the madness happening.

There's a loud shout from out of sight that garners the attention of the rioting freaks. They all run like a swarm, their masks obscuring the face, but the twisted sneers or the crazed stares could still be made out. Still shake the heart of any sane person. This is the part where I say that's not me.

That'd be a lie. I'm scared outta my goddamn mind.

Still I am a proud investigative journalist... And I bet that kid would tell me to do what I need to do. What i believe is right to do. Dammit... Why am I thinking of him now?! Thoughts like these are going to get me killed! Especially as I follow the swarm from behind.

There's a crashed car halfway into the flower shop. Great cover to hide behind and lean out from to observe these new terrorists. In the intersection is group of hostages.

Thugs line the area snickering as they crowd around a group of civilians. One of them steps out with a brave face.

"You all are going to be gravely punished for your sins today. The cards have said as much. I guarantee it with all my power."

One of the smaller ones shoves her back.

"You mouthy bitch! You had me buy the shitty salty stone that didn't even taste good!"

"A-An unclean soul cannot be protected by divination!"

"Cut the shit you scamming whore!"

The two go at it with one another for awhile. The girl's nane gets dropped, Mifune Chihaya. Right after that, a larger masked man stops his friend, he holds up a paper to him.

"Hey... She's on boss' list."

"Is she...? That's good! That's _very_ good!"

The man with a grudge pulls a knife out. That's enough to have the brave girl take a step back with her face now pale and unsure. This is getting bad. Really bad. The most I can do is write a story on this but... There has to be something more. Something someone can do, right?! The lunatic comes at her with a thrust. She falls over as blood drips to the concrete ground.

Chihaya, unharmed, looks up just as surprised as I am at the stranger that saved her. Someone scarier looking than the men actually causing all this trouble. I mean c'mon. A metal skull for a head? This guy is as crazy as them!

He takes a knife to the side without flinching. Seizing the knife hand and snapping the wrist, the little guy falls over releasing said knife, the stranger looks around as the loon writhes in pain at his feet. Quickly made quiet with a savage stomp on his head. That's when the larger man assaults the masked vigilante.

Now I'm pretty sure the guy is a foreigner cause I've never seen a Japanese man that big, or speak at a toddlers level, but even so he knows how to throw a punch. Full form with his body allowing all of the force to go into each blow. They just. Never land.

If anything, it's after the third punch as our skull wearing underdog bobs and weaves, he leans in digging his fist into the massive man's gut. I didn't even see an opening for him to do that! The strike is so hard that it lifts Mr. Huge off of his feet for just a moment. A moment I made sure to take a photo of.

I'm so happy that kid got me a Digital Camera now.

That one blow allows the vigilante to go hog wild on the guy as he barrages him with thundering punches. I do mean _thundering_ since I could hear them from my cover. I begin recording instead of taking photo shots.

The rest of the gang come to their enforcer's rescue. They try sucker punching him, but they hurt their hands against the metal helmet, so they try swarming him, yet he takes the lower members down in just a few hits.

A punch across the jaw sends it loose with teeth flying.

A knee in the stomach has them wheeze all the air from their lungs and contents of their lunch.

Chops or palms at joints like elbows or kicks at knees snap limbs in ways they weren't meant to bend.

They manage to get him a few times with barbed clubs and bats littered with nails. But, he just keeps going, if anything he fights harder each time they hit him... It's one sided enough as is too.

"STOP!"

Everyone's attention goes back to the group as the wormy thug holds a gun to the poor girl's head. She struggles but fires a bullet in the air before shoving it at her ear.

"Move! She dies... Ta-Take off that mask! I'm gonna blow your head open to make up for your bullshit!"

The vigilante stares at him in silence. Vacant eye holes and the furrowed brows of the mask give him this perpetual glare. The canines of the teeth are exaggerated ans exude a demonic aura. All together, even with a gun in hand as he holds a hostage, everyone is more frightened of the vigilante over the criminal. The "hero" takes a step forward.

"Hey! What did I just say!? S-Stay back or I'll kill her!"

Another step. He raises his hands slowly with the right hand going to the back of his head. The gun toting maniac smiles with blood stained teeth.

"Good... Good! That's right, good guy! Nice and slow. Otherwise she's dead! Her blood on your hands!"

His back is to me right now and I can't help but be amazed by what he does next. The knife that was in his side, I hadn't noticed it was gone until now, watching it slide from his sleeve and into his left hand.

I could have sworn I saw sparks around it...

His right hand drops something, a rock I think, which tumbles on the ground and causes the criminal to look away from him confused.

"What was-?"

The was his last mistake. The vigilante throws the knife right into the gun hole before it blows to pieces. The criminal still has a hand but it's burnt black, enough for him to stumble backwards and allow Chihaya to break free of his grasp, but most importantly allow him to be open for the vigilante.

The masked man almost blurs as he practically glides in the air to smash his face in with a final punch. I wouldn't be too shocked if that guy was dead after that.

It's a miracle though. Everyone is alive somehow. Even the awful men who caused all of this. The masked man helps the girl up to her feet. This is my chance! I run out of cover and straight for him.

"Hold It! Just a moment there, hero! Care to make a statement on what's going on!?"

The bastard is walking away like he didn't just hear or see me! I chase after him for a moment until he turns back. Hands in pockets as he approaches me with a lean. He's suddenly dangerously close to me. It hits me then that I only see an eye in one of the eye holes. The other is truly empty.

 **"Do you know if the trains in Shibuya are open."**

The mask must have some kind of voice modulator or something because even his voice is unnaturally scary. Human but too deep to be normal. He sounds so grizzled and even tired. I blink a few times processing his question.

"Hu-H-Huh?! I-I guess ...! You'd have to take the trains to begin with if you need to go anywhere!"

 **"Thank you. Now go home."**

"That's it? I'm sorry but didn't you hear me earlier? I don't care if even fifty of those scum bags show up! I've _got_ to interview you!"

I gasp as glass shatters against his head. A young man with tattoos on his face sneers until he realizes my new escort doesn't go down. He takes ink-face by the collar and headbutts him. Dragging the stunned boy to a parked car. He breaks the driver's window with the delinquent's head, reaches in to unlock the door, and opens it wide just to slam his head again with the car door.

"Y-You don't pull any punches...!"

 **"I'm pulling back as hard as I can. Looks like you got your wish."**

Out of the woodworks, more unsightly thugs come out, eyeing me like candy and my new story with crazed glazed stares. He stands between me and them.

 **"Stay out of trouble. I'll be done in a minute."**

"I'll time you on it."

It took longer than a minute but he got real close. In a minute and forty-three seconds he managed to mop the entire street with our unwanted guests.

He move onto the subway trains. Somehow, I got there in time with the place still running. I even catch the same car.

Maybe even these criminals know better than to ruin the subway system.

Our car is mostly empty. This is perfect time for an interview. My audio recorder is on as I begin.

"I'm Ichiko Ohya. Can I get a name?"

 **"Skull."**

"A bit on the nose, don't you think? What are your thoughts on the ongoing criminal wave? "

He doesn't say anything to that.

" _Okay..._ Why did you beat those men? Did you think you were saving lives?"

 **"No comment."**

So much for a cooperative interview... Still I'm nothing if not tenacious!

Before I can continue drilling with questions I hear an exasperated voice speak.

"I... I managed to catch you! Please! Allow me to read your fortune!"

 **"Go home. The both of you."**

I shake my head and the apparent psychic is adamant about staying. I mean, she did buy a ticket, and get in the same car after chasimg us. That's dedication.

"Hell no! Not after all that crap you just pulled!"

"Fate is absolute... But you and one other have shown me otherwise. I need to do a reading with you!"

He turns to look at us. God I wish his mask could do more than just glare.

 **"I'm not looking for attention and I don't have any money on me. You don't even have cards or a table to do a reading with."**

Chihaya recklessly snatches his wrist and pulls one of his hands from his pockets.

"I can do palm readings as well! I just need to take your glove off and-"

"Pardon us!"

The two are separated by a young high school student pulling along a woman I can only assume is his mom. She looks old enough at least. Wait a minute...!

"You're that Phan-Boy!"

 **"Mishima..."**

"Yeah that's your name!"

I blink for a moment with a confused glance to Skull. How did * _he_ * know him? Mishima snaps at him in surprise.

"You...! You have to help us! There are bad guys, more of them, in the cars behind us! They're trying to get to the engineer and crash the train!"

The older woman hisses loudly.

"Those nutjobs want to spread some kind of terrible message using the lives and collateral damage of everyone on board. I don't condone this but you have to stop them!"

Everyone looks to Skull. He remains silent before turning to where Mishima came from. As if on cue, more of those goons from the gang prior come in, unaware of the trouble they're in for. Skull groans.

 **"I come home to a bunch of shitheads trying to raise Hell for no known reason... It's like I'm being punked by the universe."**

Something in the air changes. I go to grab my camera but I'm stopped by a static shock. It's harmless but enough to for me to yelp in surprise. Mishima does the same with his phone, though he manages to get it out still, the kid starts recording immediately.

Skull raises a foot and stomps down on the ground. The most unbelievable thing occurs then. That whole section of the train car becomes a wild electrical nightmare. Sparks and bolt fly as the screens explode from power surges. Lights flicker while the car vibrates at a near violent level. The menacing men convulse violently before falling over with foaming mouths. He grinds his heel a few times before turning back to us and taking a seat.

 **"Threats Eliminated."**

* * *

"Karou, keep your head down!"

I roughly shove my son's head low behind cover a overturned vending machine. Colored gangs and small time gangsters, a few faces I recognize that ought to be in prison rotting forever, it's as if the streets are flooded with scum. Scum I know all too well that would do more than hurt people on a whim.

I can't let Karou be exposed that sick shit... But we're being dragged down by this school girl that was curled up in my alley. Karou couldn't leave her behind... He's a brave kid.

I see an opening for us move. We just need to get out of Central and to the subway station at Station Square.

"Hey! We got rats on the move for the subway! Cut 'em off!"

Dammit...! I was too desperate. By the time we get over to our destination, they're already right on our tail. The girl trips and shrieks as the human hyenas start to pounce on her.

"Get away from her!"

Karou turns around and kicks one of the men off of her. The other tries to sock him in his jaw, but I catch the fist before it connects, throwing mine into his jaw instead.

"Dad!"

"Get the girl and run, Karou!"

"But-!"

 _"NOW!"_

He flinches but does as he's told. A knife wielding bastard is upon them. He's tackled by an old man... I know him too. That old speech giver, No-Good Tora, I'm kind of shocked to see him here.

"Didn't you hear him?! Go Now! Let the adults handle things!"

He shouts as the knife goes into his upper arm but he shoves the prick back. Thanks to him, Karou and that girl leave for the subway tunnels, I can rest easy knowing he's-

"AIE!"

"D-DAD!"

I turn around with my worst nightmare happening before my eyes. The two kids are cornered by armed bastards with one raising a knife to my son. The idiot has himself out as a shield for the girl.

 _"KAROU!"_

The knife comes down. It stops in empty air before falling out of the scumbag's hand. It lands into the free hand of the one that saved my boy. A skull headed punk that pockets the knife before kicking that asshole behind the knee. He swings him around by that arm and knocks the others away before throwing him further down the stairs.

 **"Go."**

Is all he says before he starts coming up the stairs at us. He takes the knife out and throws it in our direction. It lands in the shoulder of a guy about to sucker punch me. He stumbles back twitching and hollering like mad. The others take a step back but it's too late. That guy flies up the stairs and starts to go to town on them.

Every gut wrenching thing I wanted to do these nutjobs, every bone crushing move I could think of and more, this masked guy does. I ain't ever see an ass kicking so one sided before. It's cathartic to the end... He didn't kill anyone either. I think they deserve it honestly but, him sparing them only seem right, and I said it before. My son doesn't need to see that kind of shit.

The masked guy is finishing one guy off but he starts laughing in his face. The freak starts bleeding black from his eyes and mouth like that CEO on TV. A mental shutdown...! He holds up an unpinned grenade. Me and Tora, we're far enough just to get knocked back, but that guy only managed to get a few steps away before his back is blasted...

He lands with his helmet skidding across the ground with sparks flying. Back on fire and groaning weakly. No-Good Tora proves himself be some good by running over to him taking his jacket off.

"He's alive?! Quick! Help me put out the fire!"

"Right!"

I get my jacket off as we start beating away at the flames. Thankfully they're weak. If I didn't know any better though, I would think he was fire resistant, he's got minor burns at worst. That jacket is destroyed though. A big hole that reveals some kind of tattoo... It's not like any mafia or gang sign I know. I look to Tora, and he looks to me, neither knowing what to do.

He doesn't give us the chance to even think on it. The guy pushes himself off the ground with a dry grunt amd stands to his feet with a sway.

"Hey...! Don't move idiot! You probably got broken bones!"

 **"I know I do... Can't let that stop me... I have to keep going..."**

He coughs with some blood coming through between the teeth. Hunched over and limping away, I grab him by the shoulder, moving his arm overhead so I can help him stand.

"Sure. Keep going. Going to the hospital that is."

No-Good Tora gets his other side.

"You're a young man despite your voice and appearance. I thank you for your valor. You should not be so carefree with your life."

 **"No hospitals... Yongen-Jaya. There's a clinic. Take the train..."**

* * *

I used to love how quiet and boring the evening hours usually are. No one to bother me unless it's an emergency or a prank. This place is so obscure that both are a rarity. Now though it's another haven from tonight's explosive gang war. The street gangs crawled out from every rock for some reason going insane. Police stretched thin unable to focus on any one spot. Because of this, my clinic was stuffed with many of my patients waiting in fear, several victims of assault, it really makes me angry. They all started to leave as things begin to quiet down outside.

The neighborhood were crawling with these punks now. My favorite patient, my little guinea pig, lives just a few meters from this very building. Thinking of him now only brings great worry to me.

Banging on the door pulls me from my thoughts. A female voice desperately shouts from the other side.

"Help! Help! The door is locked! Please! If anyone is there! We need your help!"

It's difficult to ignore a plea like that but it could be a trick. I hate to say it but that has occurred. We only made it through that ordeal because of my trusty taser. It has some use in it left.

Hesitantly, I open the door with it up and aimed, firing as soon as I saw a creep in a jacket with some devilish mask on... He looks down and takes the fired charges off. Like it has no effect on him whatsoever. It only disturbs me more that he looks like he's been ran over by a car.

A woman by his side shouts at me. Her breath reeks of liquor.

"What the hell is wrong with you!? He's bad enough as is!"

A gruff looking man chewing on a toothpick also supports him.

"Blown to hell with knife wounds and you tank a taser? You're a monster, kid... Sorry doc, but we need this one alive."

Behind them are others, a few students and some adults. A bright haired woman pushes the helmet wearing fiend while a politician merely holds him up.

"This young man needs your help! For the sake of the next generation! We can't afford to let them just die!"

"He's a handful but his heart is in the right place. His fate isn't to die tonight! Please?"

I reluctantly step aside to let them come in. Right now that masked man is top priority.

"Head to the examination room. I'll do what I can for him."

I can hardly believe it. All these people behind this one guy? What did he do to get this much support? Maybe he's not all that bad... I send them out once they lay him on the bed... There's blood trickling out between the teeth of the skull helmet.

"I'm going to need to take this off and undo your jacket."

 **"Wait. Tell no one. Don't tell anyone what you're about to see."**

"Confidentiality comes with the profession. I doubt I know you anyhow."

 **"Not my face."**

He reaches to the parietal of his skull. A click sounds and it begins to come apart like a big puzzle piece. A big, scratched, dented puzzle piece.

Blonde hair sprawled to his shoulders. Light skin that's faintly bruised from whatever abused the helmet. A brown eye with the other having been lost for some time with a nasty scar. I assume as much since he wears a decorated eye patch over it. What catches my attention immediately after that and from then on are his teeth.

Actually no. Not teeth. _Fangs._

He can barely close his mouth due to how large they are. From the angle and curvature, as well as thickness, they best comparison would be shark fangs. Unlike those, these are adapted to human biology, aligned symmetrically with no chips or ridges, they almost look like curved knives instead.

"Oh... That's why you wear the mask."

He looks at me and smiles. They are much bigger than I anticipated.

"I don't like actin' all scary honestly. I get th' reaction ya gave not too long ago."

"How did this happen to you...?"

I get started with what's left of my supplies. Stitches, bandages, sterile cleansers. The works. He winces amd hisses a few times but stays still for the most part.

"So, I've been out of town for a while, an' I wanted ta see if anythin's changed since then. I didn't think things could get so bad..."

"In such a short amount of time too. I'm sure we'll get through this."

"Yeah... D'ya believe in th' Phantom Thieves?"

"... Off the record? I do. Are you a member?"

"I was... I left 'em though. I don't plan on joinin' back either but, I'll help 'em in any way I can, best I can."

"Hmhmhmh!~ I know another member. He's my little guinea pig. It's thanks to him that I've gotten back on my feet as a doctor."

"... Tae Takemi. We stole Shoichi Oyamada's shitty heart ta help ya. I 'member that."

He chuckles with his eye gone misty. I am surprised to say the least.

"You even knew his name...! Director Shoichi Oyamada used me as a scapegoat when... Well. I'm sure you know the story."

"Yer medicine saved our lives dozens of times over, y'know? It's nice ta say thank you ta ya face."

"I already knew that much. Just take it easy. You're starting to talk too much."

He lays back and begins to relax before drifting off to sleep right there. That should be impossible with me working on his body as I am. Not without the help of anesthesia or morphine. He's either utterly exhausted or something teetering on the line beyond human. I can run a few tests when he wakes up.


	11. Home

I try to not sweat through this whole meeting. Akechi is here, which only makes it worse for me. I can barely hear anyone speaking. It's all muffled mumbles as I think back on last night... Everything was so crazy and insane. I don't know how we could really get anywhere now after Sae's Palace.

"Sakura-san?"

"Huh-?!"

I jump as the ace detective calls on me with _everyone_ staring. Thankfully, I have come prepared with my trusty key item, Joker's arm.

"Yeeeeah?"

"I was curious if you could give us a proper run down of our plan for Treasure?"

 _Aw crap!_ I wasn't paying attention at all! Still if he's talking about what I think he is, the calling card, then I can totally pull a Ryuji and just wing it.

"We sneak in through the entrance and gun straight for the Treasure! I'll use my powers to advance you guys as far as I can within the cognition of the Palace and you take it from there!"

"Glad to see you are paying attention."

Phew...

"And should Zagi make an appearance?"

"Oh-! Uh... I tap into my power and transport you all somewhere else before continuing! We can't afford to abort or retreat this time."

"Exactly."

I can hear Makoto whisper to Haru next to me.

"(I don't like this... It's like he's taken charge using our weakened state)."

"(But there isn't much we can do... Our plans align, we managed to secure a route to the Treasure thanks to Akechi-san, there's just the matter of Karol-kun)..."

That's right. Karol! I had completely forgotten about him... Okay no I haven't. However, I haven't seen him for days, and no monsters have shown up since then. I mumble to them as Akechi finishes his speech.

"(Maybe We should look for his Shadow later? I-I know the plan is to _"disband"_ after this but...)"

Akechi calmly snaps at us. He's always so polite it's unnerving.

"I see that there are some unannounced concerns. Would the three of you like to share them?"

Makoto doesn't back down. She's always been a tough nut.

"We're talking about Karol. We're worried about him. I haven't seen him since we last left his Shadow in Mementos."

She then gestures to Haru.

"If there were anywhere else he would have gone it would be Haru's penthouse! We all know about his feelings and she bought him a phone. Yet, for whatever reason, not one of us have been able to find any mention of him outside of news articles trying to solve this monster craze!"

Akechi merely stares at her with those cold piercing eyes that force all of us to pull back. Makoto can be a tough nut... But often enough even she succumbs to pressure if it's heavy enough. Akechi, strange smile and all, harshly retorts.

"Perhaps he has wormed his way into your hearts as well? Please understand that despite his childish appearance there is a prevalent violence that we all have seen within him. You two and Takamaki-san know more so than any of us. Am I wrong?"

Makoto looks withdrawn as Haru looks away. Even Ann starts to play with her hair with a downcast expression. Makoto speaks justly even like this.

"He has shown he can be... Capable of great harm... But never towards anything not a monster. He would never hurt another person."

Haru pales and mumbles to herself. Unfortunately I'm sitting next to her and I hear exactly what she has to say.

 _"That's... Not true..."_

"Huh-?! He's hurt someone on purpose?"

She speaks up with the party's attention on her.

"Y-Yes... My ex-fiancé."

Mona hisses. Can't blame the kitty too. Not only is that guy an asshole, he also kicked Mona into a wall, after trying to force himself onto Haru. We were all there just in time to stop him... Well... Ryuji was with us then.

"It must be due to my father's passing but he had only grown more forceful and assertive lately."

Yusuke shakes his head in disdain.

"How deplorable. Hasn't he learned anything... But why say had? Has he ceased recently?"

"Oh yes, I hardly hear from him anymore. Karol was there to protect me... I was so frightened at the time. He was hitting him not caring he was a child."

Ann's frown skews to a scowl. Scoffing in disgust while we listened.

"He actually was beating on him to get to you...? He's a sociopath!"

"I-I agree... Even still... What happened next is still terrifying to think about."

Everyone seems a little interested, even Akechi who hasn't interrupted her, but we're concerned by how Haru's looking as she describes the whole thing...

"Karol took one swing at his leg and... I'm sure he broke it in one strike. After that... He kept going. Beating him until he was almost unrecognizable. I had to pull him off before that monster arrived and took us away from that whole scene. I don't like saying it... But... I believe he woukd have killed him... A-At least on accident!"

Akechi sighs running a hand through his hair before glancing to Makoto.

"And you still want to find him? He's a danger to anyone and everyone around him, including himself, seeing as monsters tend to only arrive wherever he is."

She gets defensive quick.

"W-What are you insinuating? That he's some loose cannon ready to explode?"

"That he's a mystery we can't solve due to a lack of evidence. The evidence is strong that he is more dangerous to have around than not. Look at what his attachment to Okumura-san in what was their first interaction had wrought. Imagine if an unruly corrupt official or a heinous criminal were to try something similar with Sae-san in his presence. He'd kill them on a protective instinct alone."

"That's... Unfair-!"

"Fair or not it's the facts and I am not calling him evil. He's an alien. Foreign to this world entirely. With his own written language and enough differences in biology to allow him to do the things he does. I keep quiet for the sheer fact that if one thing is clear. He's still a child."

Makoto has nothing to say to that but a defeated grunt. We would have to chalk up another victory for the detective had Joker not surprised us all by interrupting here.

"Exactly. He's a child like us. We're teenagers but we're the closest to friends in his age group that he has. He has an uncanny ability to make people his friend on the spot, or instant enemies, either way he's still out of the public's eye... And for him that's a good thing. For him and us."

He stands up and looks to us all with this brimming confidence we rarely see from him.

"I want to take a vote. I propose we have Karol join the Phantom Thieves until we can find him a proper way home if not give him one here."

Akechi seems the most taken back by this idea. Especially since-

"Out of the Question! We are sending the calling card tonight! Did you forget that this is the last heist of the Phantom Thieves?!"

"Did you forget how much of a threat you just proved Karol is on his own? What of last night? The police let the city nearly burn to the ground. The damage done and the attack itself was too methodical to be a riot. You have an in with the law and you're not telling us anything. If we can't trust each other the deal is off."

The air grows tense and stiff real quick. Everyone is on edge about that. Akechi looks disappointed as he plays his hand.

"That means that I go public with your identities. Your lives are over."

"And you prove that you're on the side of injustice. Sae isn't the biggest threat anymore. The police aren't capable or simply refuses to deal with this. There were small bombings, several arsons, countless assaults, burglaries, robberies, murders... For a single night Shibuya turned into a small time Sodom and you want to keep us from saving people. That's not justice. You're advocating for _Injustice._ "

I've never seen either one this emotional... Akechi's face is red with furrowed brows while Joker glares back with a face so fierce I'm just scared looking at it from the side. Neither one backs down until Akechi finally let out a held breath and looks away.

"... A compromise. I will hear you out if you can convince me of that."

"For exchange of some more time working to change the hearts of whoever is leading this new force, Sae Niijima, and the temporary recruitment of Karol Capel into the Phantom Thieves-"

Joker places a hand on his chest before blowing our minds... And our trust.

"I will hand over myself to the police personally when all is said and done. I will confess, but will leave everyone's name out, and be the sole criminal that went under the title of Phantom Thief. Using the wording implying a group to spread the law thin looking for multiple perpetrators rather than a single entity."

The whole room erupts with us shouting. Everyone had something to say it was hard to know who said what.

 _("Joker, you can't be serious! That's suicide!")_  
"We won't let you do that!"  
"Don't be so stupid we're right here!"  
"Please reconsider, you're going too far, surely there's another way!"  
"This desperation is unsightly and unbecoming of you...!"  
"After everything we did you'd just throw it away?!"

Akechi remains silent. Dumbfounded. It's like the program script in his brain has gone haywire. His phone begins to vibrate and that snaps him out of his shock.

"... Excuse me... I need to take this."

He takes to the stairs and leave us to speak freely. Joker looks to us and smiles cooly.

"I wasn't sweating was I? He was so scary I thought would die..."

Makoto glares death at him with a finger on his chest.

" **You're about to!** How could you make such an idiotic move?!"

Ann snatches him by his arm just to have him look her way so she can pull him down to eye level.

"Do I have to slap the shit out of you!? What were you thinking!?"

Calmly and unblinking, his carefree smile remains as he speaks with that stoic tone, like he didn't just put his whole life on a bargaining table.

"That I could stall for time. The plan is, and has always been, for me to get arrested. Right?"

"Huh?!"

Mona moans confidently.

 _("I see... That's our Joker! You really are a few steps ahead of us all, huh.")_

Yusuke and Haru look to him curiously.

"I am afraid I don't understand, Morgana."

"Me too, Mona-chan... What did he do that was smart?"

That's when it hit me then. My eyes glimmer as the realization dawns on me.

"No way...! This is perfect! You're amazing, Joker!"

Ann releases him looking at me confused.

"Okay seriously. I'm lost so please tell me why we should be grinning ear to ear?"

Mona hops up from my lap and on the table garnering everyone's attention.

 _("Our leader here has all but secured our master plan that we've been working hard on. Remember. Akechi is the traitor. He **wants** him to be arrested so they can take him to that special interrogation room. He's also given us time should Akechi agree to this. Time to get Karol and figure out who's behind these psycho terrorists popping up out of nowhere.")_

Makoto finally pieces it together with Ann and takes a step closer to Joker.

"You... Had all that in mind?"

He brings a hand to her shoulder and nods.

"First priority is saving your sister. We can work our way up from there. The plan remains mostly the same."

"J-Joker..."

We all tense at the sound footsteps. Akechi returns looking pale and disturbed. We've never seen him like this... At first it looks like everything is for vain... But...

"I agree to your terms. I'll see what I can do about finding Karol for you. May we end the meeting here? I have... A bit of business to attend."

Joker nods.

"Don't forget. Makoto will be sending the calling card tonight."

"I will be ready for tomorrow..."

He's way too quiet. It couldn't have been the deal itself, could it? I gotta ask.

"Akechi. Are you alright?"

"... It's complicated work. I _must_ leave. I will see you all tomorrow."

He looked sick. Spooked sick actually. He wasn't even like that in face of danger at any point in our heist for Sae's heart. He's the guy who caused all our known problems for now... The one who killed my mom... Killed Haru's dad... The _real_ black mask. So why do I feel sympathetic towards him? He looks lonely and afraid...

* * *

I get to the address texted to me by an unknown number. It's a warehouse in a low income part of the city. It looks better than the more populated areas due to the events of last night. I would never in my life be seen or even think of approaching this deplorable place... Were it not for the business I have here. I can see a few faces I recognize from police reports. The rest are either masked behind strap belts or rags.

I enter the warehouse to find it filled with these figures. It confuses me as to how or why no one would know about this place... I then realize that not one thug has a phone, nor has anyone said so much as a whisper, and I had to proceed on foot for about a mile...

He really has found a viable hideout. Out of touch, irreparable and decrepit, a social blemish and hazard that Shido will tear down once he is made Prime Minister.

A crash sounds as a desk flies out of a window from on the second floor. A body eviscerated from an all too familiar technique. Roaring, shouting, and mass profanity echoes from the window. I know my destination.

It isn't a long way to the office room. Indeed, there he is. Zagi, raving and rambling incoherent grunts as he massacres anything and everything in the room. Walls, cupboards, electrical appliances and the ceiling fan. I walk in compelled to stop him since I'm on a tight schedule.

"Zagi."

Be it bravery or a delayed reaction, I do not move as he brings one of his swords to my throat, grazing the skin and drawing blood. He pants a strange mist from his mouth that vanishes as he calms down. He pulls back and places his weapons into their sheath with a very... Unexplainable expression.

"Goro...!? Don't do that! I could've! Oh yeah-! Yeah...! Yeah, yeah, I needed to...! We have a problem...!"

I pull out my handkerchief to wipe the droplet of blood away. I do not need to clean this suit again.

"Just calm down and explain this to me... Preferably without killing anymore of your men. From my understanding quite a few of them are under incarceration."

 _ **"YEAH ABOUT THAT-!"**_

He kicks a chair... What's left of it... Into a nearby wall.

"It wasn't supposed to go that way...! They all got too carried away! Too spread out! All my good killers too, they got broken, beaten by that _Asshole!_ "

"Are you saying you failed...?"

"What-?! No. Nah we wrecked shit and got all the public viewing we needed... But that **SHIT HEEL** wanted to get involved! He doesn't get it! Understand it! _**You**_ are the one supposed to stop the crime wave! He's interferin' with our plans! _Again!_ "

"Who...? And should you really have called me out here? Your men are right outside."

"I don't know his fuckin' name! Blonde one! Skull mask, head, thing! He was with you! I took his eye and bled him out... Uh..."

 _Ryuji Sakamoto...?_ He's out of the hospital? No, more importantly, he's back from vanishing from the hospital. From thin air. He continues on.

"Anyways! These guys are lobotomized right now. The chains of my will keeps them under my control..."

Chains...? Like the ones his Shadow uses... I decide to focus on this interloper.

"Are you certain that's who interfered? That specific member of the Phantom Thieves?"

"Course I am! He even used lightning magic. Listen, Goro... I'm not mad that he of all people got involved... But my boys managed to get a gander at his back... AND-!"

He throws his sword at the same wall he had been savagely hacking away at. I now take notice of a symbol as it pierces the wood. A large symbol he must have been making to vent his frustrations.

"I FIND THAT **THIS** IS THERE. THAT IS THE LEVITHAN'S CLAW BANNER... _BUT THEY DON'T BRAND THEIR BODIES!_ "

"You're confused as I am. Start from the beginning. What is the Leviathan's Claw?"

He takes a breath as he makes his way to the wall to yank his blade out.

"In Terca Lumireis, there's two main powers, the Zaphias Empire and the Guild Union. One is an aristocratic government, very traditional with the Knights being their military power, but the other is a segregated superpower that's basically a collective worker's union. The Guild's basically a bunch of businesses and organizations. Ranging from monster hunting, cooking, and then Leviathan's Claw of organized crime."

"... These were your employers. You're a known assassin. It would only come to reason that you'd be affiliated with them."

"We had a... Falling out. Yeager is their leader and that's their symbol."

"You've mentioned Yeager before..."

"Yeah, we hate each other but we're great business partners, I mean he sends monsters to kill me from the portal me and the kid fell through, but before that we made shit tons of cash together. I knew something was up... Sending me to kill the Hunting Blades leader... He's harmless in the grand scheme of things..."

"... You were set-up for a fall. To see if an experiment would work with devices beyond your understanding. Now you suffer the consequences and seek a way home by any means... Wronged and exiled into a lonlieness beyond what you may have already known."

"Goro?"

I place a hand on his shoulder reassuring him with a cold stare and harsh tone. My honest nature and true nature.

"You hated him but you both had a trust that he betrayed. We have been betrayed, left alone in our cold worlds, men with no one to turn to despite all our astonishing skills. Made killers who can only understand each other. Zagi. I believe in fate. I believe it brought us together, and through each other, _there is nothing we cannot achieve..._ "

It seems I have turned the tables around. He looks to me, amazed and hopeful, broken and confused. That awkward fractured smile cracks across his ghostly dry face. Having able to calm this psychopath down has me believe our bond has grown stronger.

"Yeah..."

"I have some important things to tell you as well. The leader of the Phantom Thieves has given me an offer I find difficult to refuse. I had planned on involving a police unit to arrest him in the Metaverse, but if he plans on giving himself in willingly, then I may have to compromise... He desires to stop you and your newfound gang and recruit Karol to keep him from you."

His smile skews into a scowl that fits him better.

"That directly impedes with our plan with bald man..."

"It does... But Karol is young. He grows attached easily. At this point he has spent quite enough time with Shido to trust him."

"So?"

"So... Depending on how we play the cards we hold in our hand... We have two choices. Capture and kill them all at once while fighting Sae's Shadow, or we bide our time and wait to strike in Shido's Palace, killing three birds with one fell swoop."

"Someone's biased towards the long game."

"You said you adapt and change to fit the current situation best... Let me aid you in this. We are partners after all."

Zagi looks to the symbol on the wall for a prolonged time. Thinking. Contemplating. Things I hadn't even considered possible for him.

"... I... _**REALLY**_ would like to just kill the kids. They're a thorn in my dick. But..."

"... But?"

"The second option absolutely guarantees my journey home. We go with that."

I smile and pat his back. Chuckling as I finally have the upper hand. Finally I have the reigns. I am in control once more...! Not Zagi. Not Joker. Soon Not even Shido.

"Excellent. By the way... I understand that monster that attacked Shido is creation of yours... I have an idea."

* * *

Traffic isn't moving at all. It isn't that I am in traffic per say, I have a car, but it's easiest to traverse the city on foot. However, there is a congestion I'm stuck in, and it seems that the reason for this is none other than a political rally being held yet again. It is at least on the sidewalk this time than in the middle of an intersection.

The large platform strategically holds him above the masses, forcing people to look up at him, a subtle change to have the public be more submissive to his words seeing as he has them entranced.

Still it's holding everyone up due to people stopping to pay attention. Enamoured with the politician's speech. A lot of what he says is nice and resonates with the old and new members of the crowd.

I could not care anymore less than I already did if were not for the utterly astounding presence of a child I haven't seen in what has felt like months. Karol stares out into empty space with a vacant smile as he idly hides behind the politician. He seems even more lonely than when I met him in the streets for the first time.

How long has it been since then? How much has changed? He notices me staring at him and grows less distant. That fake smile void of any natural feelings is filling with elation as our eyes meet. My clouded mind and heavy heart.

 _It begins to clear again..._

Whatever hold or power Karol has on me must be connected to Shido, as he becomes defensive and harsh in tone, maintaining his charisma while pulling the boy back to his side. Karol relinquished any will or resistance as he grows submissive once again. Empty. It seems that we won't even get the chance to talk. I decide to try my luck at venturing through this crowd.

 **"MASAYASHI SHIDO! I HAVE COME FOR YOUR HEAD!"**

The sound of steel hooves galloping and roaring fire come soaring down a near skyscraper as a blazing trail comes down the building. As a comet that comes streaking across the sky, a celestial decree as the emmisary of vengeance rides a wrathful steed leaps off the windowed walls, a rainfall of glass below terrorizing the public as the horseman lands with thundering impact. The crowd dispersed in time to escape being burned into a charred stain against the pavement.

A giant skeleton knight in burnt armor wielding a flaming sword points his weapon directly at Shido.

 **"You cannot flee from me forever! I WILL have your head and swallow your SOUL!"**

A ball of flame fires from the sword. It's dispersed in the air by Karol, who has leapt forward from the platform as he swings one of his giant weapons, a large spiked ball with a wooden handle. He lands on his feet ready to swing for the horse's leg, but it lifts in time for him to miss, countering with a hoof to his face. He flies with a cry denting into the platform with a slight shake.

"Karol!"

I shout loudly in his direction. He wakes from his daze to dodge another fireball. He rolls forward with his weapon in one hand and the other in his bag. Another hoof comes down but is severed with a mighty cleave of large brutal looking axe. Being able to cut straight through the bone speaks volumes about it's edge.

The horse stumbles before falling over with a smoking neigh. It shrivels into the same vapor all monsters vanish into leaving the knight who lands on his smoldering boots.

 **"You... You are the one I have TRULY sought! I seek the strong! I challenge you to a duel!"**

"I... I...!"

He's quivering. Gasping for a breath. Hyperventilating. He might be in the middle of a panic attack. His eyes dart around before looking behind him for Shido... He isn't there. We both look to a limousine that is of the many cars driving away. Shido's car. He left that boy to die. My boy...

 _"Karol!"_

I run between them. My arms out as I face the blazing revenant. Karol stumbles back confused.

"S-Sae...?"

"I won't let a dead freak like you have your way with him! How many of you monsters have to threaten him?! How many times does he have to sacrifice himself to you!?"

"...!"

 _"I won't let you... Or anyone else... Regardless of any powers..._ _ **Take Him Away From Me!**_ _"_

This was a bad idea... Yet... I am finally starting to understand Karol. Giving my life just for the sake that his may go on, even if for just a moment longer than my own, I now truly feel connected to him... I await the blow from either fire or blade.

 **"... So I see... Your bravery is resounding. It would move me to tears if I had tears to shed."**

It points the sword to me and sends this tiny ember that lands my shirt. A pyre abruptly erupts from my collar after it lands. I shriek in shock and fall back as it lowers to a small flame burning away at my shirt.

"S-Sae!"

Karol catches me and attempts to pat the flame down... It continues to burn at a slow crawl spreading at growing pace. The monster raises it's blade high, prompting Karol to rush ahead of me, both the large mace and giant battle-axe in hand. Once again at my side acting as a hero... No... He is a hero. I don't feel that crippling fear for his life. I hold in my heart, regardless of the situation, a swelling pride in the boy before me.

 **"Karol Capel... Your answer is clear! You have ten minutes! Ten minutes to defeat me! Should you fail and die in battle I will release her. Should you fail but survive she will die in your place! Now... COME AT ME WITH ALL YOU HAVE!"**

Oh no. That's the last thing either of us need...! * _A damn time limit!_ * There's enough pressure with Karol now exposed with confirmation of otherworldly forces now with a live audience just a few feet away... Now my life is burning at both ends of the candle.

"Sis!"

I look to the side and see Makoto being held back by the part timer and Madarame's pupil. Not them...!

My attention is ripped from them back to the fight as Karol roars with fear as he swings both weapons. The giant bats and swats these attacks away with his sword with little more than wrists flicks.

"Karol! Use only one weapon! You're leaving yourself too open!"

He gets sent back with a spin from a real parry swing. He leans back with the force just to throw his blunt weapon for the legs. The knight catches it with the off hand and tosses it in the air before gesturing for Karol to come at it once more. Karol growls in attempt to have his anger override his fear as he charges in.

The knight kicks blocks an axe swing, and with the gaping height difference, it kicks the handle forcing Karol to stumble back with his arms up high barely holding his weapon. Our eyes widen with the knight going for a sweep for his legs. Karol narrowly escapes a life of a paraplegic by hopping with a fall back, but as the swing misses, the knight's offhand catches the falling mace, and brings it down on top of our hero.

Karol barely evades death by using his axe in an attempt to block it. The handle of the axe bends and the ground cracks slightly. A weak squeal escapes his wheezing lungs.

 _"No!"_

The knight repeatedly strikes Karol with that painful squeal uttered with each blow until the handle breaks.

"Karol! Fight back, dammit! Figh- AGH!"

I hiss... The fire has grown from my collar and began to eat away at my shirt, spreading to my bicep and my undershirt. My cry must have done it though. Karol swings both arms with the broken axe to bring the oncoming mace to the side. Surprising knight who has leaned in with most his might, now nearly falls over, he finishes his counter with a headbutt.

The undead warrior grunts and stands on reflex with a growl. Karol scurries back throwing the axe end which stabs into the shoulder of the armor... But I don't think that hurt the monster one bit. It didn't flinch at all.

 **"A child you are still... A coward even with all this newfound strength...! You who have been rejected time and time again, made outcast for your weaknesses, can you not even provide unto me a true challenge!?"**

It rips the the axe out it's body. Magma like blood pours out from the wound... With it being already dead... It must not be able to feel. It drops the axe before stomping on it, breaking it with a shattering thud, and bring the spiked ball to his sword. The furious heat melts the metal away. Both weapons destroyed.

Finally the police arrive. Taking aim and firing at once upon the creature. Bullets bounce off it, although one manages to crack the skull, they are met with a wave of the sword. A torrent of infernal wrath burns away at their bodies. Now I see a preview to my fate as they are rendered into burnt skeletons within seconds.

 **"NONE SHALL INTERFERE OR YOU ALL PERISH!"**

I note for a second that the fire around his sword is gone. Now just a blade surrounded by heat.

However, my entire top is now engulfed in flames and I can feel it licking my flesh, my chest tightens as it grows difficult to even breathe. I can't think of how to save Karol like this.

I hear Makoto shouting for me. I reach for her. I want to tell her how sorry I am. How awful of a world and a life I've had to put her through. I want to say how proud I am of her achievements. How she carries herself. She's the ideal little sister... Like a fool she manages to break free from her friends and rushes to my side. I can hardly hear her over the fire... Perhaps what I am feeling is death approaching... I have to say something.

"Makoto...?"

"Sis! I have water I'll douse the flames!"

She must have had something wet on hand. She pours it on me but the fire snakes up the liquid like it's gasoline. A bestial maw opens up and devours the bottle, narrowly snapping down on her hand, incinerating the whole thing at once. She looks lost and full despair. I... I have to say something.

"Makoto... I have always thought... You were my greatest source of strength... I'm so sorry that I... I abandoned you..."

 _"Sis...!"_

"It'll be okay though... I won't die... Not here... Karol..."

Her friends run over as I turn to see the fight. Karol's head hangs low with one hand in his bag.

"No more... No more playing around..."

He raises his head finally devoid of any fear. Desperation yes, but an indignant righteousness now shines in his eyes. He runs right towards danger. Towards death.

 _"I'LL END IT ALL RIGHT NOW! IF YOU KILL ME SHE LIVES, IF I WIN SHE LIVES,_ _ **SO I HAVE NOTHING TO LOSE!**_ _"_

 **"EXCELLENT! THIS IS HOW IT SHOULD BE! A GAMBLE BOY! YOUR LIFE OR HERS! WE FIND OUT,** _ **NOW!**_ **"**

Now the giant rushes to meet him as well. Karol still has yet to pull out an item, weapon, anything from his bag. Just his hand remains rummaging inside. The revenant comes upon him as they meet swinging for his head. I blink torn between keeping my eyes closed or watching the conclusion of the exchange. A series of gasps force me to open my them out of intense curiosity met with only the intensity of the flames staring to spread to my waist.

Karol is nowhere to be seen. Even the monster tilts his head in confusion. Still in motion of the full swing it tilts the skull.

 **"He... Vanished? NO-!"**

Though he caught on first we all followed him too late. Karol had escaped the swing by doing the impossible yet again. Biting the blade despite the blistering temperature around it. Hanging high off the ground clinging to the weapon with his teeth alone. In the place he is now, with the swordsman yet to correct his stance, acts before it can by swinging out a sword of his own into the wounded shoulder. Severing the arm entirely with the aid of it's crooked edge.

It howls and flails around in utter rage. It flings him about until he flies into the air. It's just like when we first met... I can see it all over again... He takes the same form as when he fought the eggbear with a nosedive into the demon warrior. A war cry as he falls down and bisected the mighty foe from his shoulder.

At once as he lands, the fire on me vanishes like a dream that never was, and my breathing returns.

"Sis! Oh thank goodness...! T-Thank...!"

"It's okay, I'm okay, let me just-!"

For some reason it's gotten incredibly cold now. It must have to do with the temperature change. It is Winter. Makoto and her friends look quite embarrassed about something as Karol stumbles my way using his weapon as a crutch to lean on.

"S-Sae! I-I wasn't too late was... I...?"

He's staring at me with this odd expression before Makoto leans close to me with a whisper.

("Sis... Your jacket...!)"

"Hm?"

I look down at myself. Only my bra remained and even that hardly survived the fire. In fact it crumbles away to ash as I notice this. I use my arms to cover myself glaring at a everyone.

"Q-Quit acting so embarrassed and do something!"

They stumble over each other as Karol starts digging around in his bag. Our audience is preoccupied with the corpse of the once burning nightmare. It has since fizzled out into still smoke. The jaw of the skull hangs loose before falling off. The body takes far longer to vanish than usual... But it hardly matters. It's dead and neither Karol nor myself are. That's what matters.

"Here Sae."

He pulls out a spare top. It's matching even.

"When did you get this?"

"You and I went to go get spares before in case a monster did mess up our clothes. Remember?"

"That was quite awhile ago...! You still kept it even after I told you to never see me?"

"We're seeing each other now, yeah? I knew we'd be together again! N-Now please put this on before someone else notices...!"

This brat...! I don't know how he keeps getting away with being the way he is. I take the spare and quickly put it on before pulling him close and behind me.

"Everyone, help me hide him. Karol get in your bag."

A series of _Yes ma'am_ s sound from the party as we surround him. He quickly hops into his bag before we move quickly away from the crowd. Ann carries his bag and looks down at it.

"Hey... You okay in there? You were getting thrown around for a minute there."

Nothing. Futaba Sakura pokes the bag numerous times.

"Heeey!~ Don't go dying on us now after theatrics like that! ... No. Really. _Don't die!"_

She shakes the bag until Ann proceeds to open it. Her hand inside as we all begin worry. She sighs with relief.

"He's just asleep. I feel exhausted from just watching all of that myself..."

Madarame's pupil seems quite jovial despite his cool demeanor.

"To think someone so small could amount to so much. We'll have to keep a careful eye on him for sure."

Makoto eyes me cautiously as she hovers around me in a doting tone.

"Are you positive you're not suffering from any burns? I mean you did see what that fire did right?"

"I'm worried about aftereffects myself but for now I feel fine. _You all saw for yourself._ "

I glare at the group once again. My eyes soften as they move to the bag.

"We need to take him to a doctor."

The part timer speaks up. Thankfully whatever tension between us at the hospital that night must be left behind.

"I know a place we can trust. She won't tell anyone about him."

We end up at Yongen-Jaya. News if the still smoking body left behind goes viral. Karol now exposed to the public along with the monsters that * _do_ * pose a threat to our lives bring in a whole slew of new discussions and topics. Not that we care. Not now at least.

We arrive at a small clinic. We nearly crowd the interior much to the annoyance of the doctor who I learned is called Tae Takemi. The Plauge that has been redeemed after her superior changed his ways due to the Phantom Thieves. She addresses the part timer.

"What load of trouble have you brought me this time, my guinea pig... I take it the woman there needs some ointment for burns?"

He shakes his head and looks to the bag. Ann sets it down and I take Karol out carrying him in my arms... From the outside his wounds aren't too bad. Bruises and slight burns around the cheeks. However, he abruptly begins to cough and spasm, blood comes up out of his mouth. Tae grows deathly serious as we begin to panic.

"Please head to the examination room. I don't have any anesthetics due to the riot so this may be painful for him."

I take him in with Tae following me. I set him on the bed and immediately she begins to get to work.

"I have to stay. I won't get in your way but I must stay... I can't leave him like this."

"This is too urgent to argue with you with so just be quiet as I work."

She looks him over and begins to use what she has on hand to examine him. Her already pale complexion grows grim as she shakes her head.

"This is bad... I'll put it simply. The trauma of his fight with the devil back there has potentially ruptured a lung. He's drowning in his own blood."

"Isn't there anything we can do!?"

"Yes. _We_ can do this. I'll need you to hold him down as I get the chest tube and a needle to drain the blood. Get his shirt off for me."

She leaves his side to grab the essentials. I've seen his body before. It's soft and even slightly pudgy. You could knead your fingers into it like it was fresh dough.

That isn't the body I find.

It's rigid and without any body fat. The muscles are defined to a point of being similar to bedrock. Even the skin is hard to move or pinch. Tae returns with a disturbed and almost disgusted look.

"What in the hell...?"

"H-He wasn't like this before...! Can you still drain the blood?"

She attempts to do just that with the needle. It breaks.

"I don't think even a scalpel will get through this. Do you have any ideas what's going on here?"

Have I ever seen anything like this before? No... But it gets me thinking about the time I have spent with him. I keep calm and keep to the facts. What do I know that could help me explain this?

"... It is a guess. He's usually of a child's build but, perhaps it's an abnormal psychological conditioning with his body, that when in danger his body adopts this state. I know it's ridiculous but-"

"No. That's not ridiculous. Having it at level this extreme is. I can't save him like this."

I can't afford to panic. Things were looking up once he dies now, eill any of the time I spent with him mattered? At all!?

No. I can't think like this. I caress his cheek before realizing something...

"Doctor. His bag. Go get the bag! It's important!"

"Anything at this point, I guess."

She leaves and for a moment he wakes up. Eyes barely open that wander about the room. I shush him as he mumbles gibberish trying to speak. My hand clasps around his.

"Just relax. You're going to be okay. We're with a friend. Just ease yourself now."

Tae returns with the bag her hand already inside.

"Now what am I... Looking... For...? It's so vast in here! What's going on!?"

 _"You need to focus on his life not his property!"_

" ...! Right. What am I looking for?"

"Something squishy. Malleable like a flan. Or a clear glass bottle. Anything consumable!"

I look back to him and notice his body softening... The internal bleeding from his fight made more apparent now. On one hand this is a sign of him calming down. On another hand he sustained damage even worse than I thought.

"Does this work?"

She pulls out a gel. I've seen most of the types when we went through his bag a short time. That's one he was most cautious with. This is an emergency.

"Hand it over. I'll feed it to him."

"While he's struggling to breathe?"

 _"I have watched him kill fairytale creatures all month and had to nurse him each time. I know what I'm doing."_

"... He's your kid."

She hands it over. I don't know what I'm doing. Do I just shove it in his mouth? Do I pick it to pieces and feed him in bits? How would I even liquify this for a drink? Could I? He takes it from me right instead and bites down on it forcefully. A guttural choked thanks. The healing properties happen immediately. First the burns vanish. Then the bruises heal. Small cuts close as he begins to look peaceful... Then queasy.

"Bucket!"

"On it."

Tae only has to reach under her desk before handing a container to him. A waterfall of gore with bits of... Something... It must be the gel. It must be having him purge anything damaging to the body that it can't heal. When he's done I take it from him almost ready to purge myself... Thankfully I've had a light diet as of late.

"Karol...? How are you feeling?"

"... Hungry. You think we can get one of those beef bowls? Ooh! Ooh! No wait! Sushi buffet!"

"Y-You...!"

I pinch him by his cheek and pull at it much to his dismay ready to give him an earful.

"The first thing that comes to mind after puking your guts is out is shuffling food down your throat!? Don't get me started on how reckless you were beiing!"

"O-Ow! Owww! S-S-Sa-Sae! Pweese!"

"Of all the foolish maneuvers to pull you picked the most suicidal one! _We nearly lost you!_ _ **I nearly lost you!**_ "

"I'm-I'm sowweh! I'm sowweh!"

"You're going to kill me with all these close calls, you brat! What would happen if you did die!? Just-"

Tae coughs for our attention with a glare of her own directed at us.

"Would you one of you care to explain what in the hell just happened? Also I hope you know this won't be free."

We look at each other as I release him. He smiles nervously begins rubbing his neck.

"Well... My name's Karol Capel! I'm a monster hunter!"

* * *

Explaining things to the Doc was awkward but she took it pretty well. In fact she seems happy to just be in the know now! I know how frustrating it can be to not understand anything. Turns out paying was her idea of a joke so we actually got away without spending a dime!

Sae had to leave the room so Doc could do a proper examination on me. After reassuring that I was healed, 'specially with the use of a special gel of all things, she let me go back out into the lobby!

Everyone looks so relieved to see me... It felt... Weird. Warm, but weird too, I've been so used to moving on my own I don't think I've ever had friends. Real friends before... Haru and Futaba both hugged me so hard I thought my ribs pierced my lungs again. Makoto ruffled my hair while Yusuke and Joker smile... I heard the cat talking too though. Like, _talking,_ talking. I didn't say anything though.

When all was said and done though, it looks like the group had plans, and we all went our ways.

Almost everyone.

Sae and I stood outside of the clinic alone. She hasn't let go of my hand since I left the examination room. I tug away from her a bit.

"H-Hey... I gotta go back to Shido-"

"Karol, that man left you to die."

"I-I know! I thought he was cool but... If I stay with you what if you get hurt again?!"

"You can't shoulder all the responsibility! After that night in the cemetery, I knew * _exactly_ * what I was getting into, and today is no different. You're still a kid."

"A kid who's got to save you every time you come after me..."

"The same kid who I have to save time and time again from dying each fight."

There's an awkward pause. We're not mad at each other. We're worried. I don't know how I know she's not mad but... I do. She lowers herself to a knee and pulls me into a tight hug.

"... Karol... I'm proud of you. I can't stop you from doing what you do. I don't even want to anymore."

She pulls back looking misty eyed with a deep frown.

"Don't try to stop me from helping you do those things. Please."

"...! I... I guess... I guess it was kind of lame of me... To put you down like that."

I look away guilty. I mean I just called her a damsel in distress! Even if it's kind of true it was a douchey thing of me to say. Then she guides my face back to look at her with that gentle touch. I feel so calm that I've began to miss it when I was with Shido. Her face now glows with this prideful smile and earnest voice.

"I don't know any one person cooler than Karol Capel."

"... S-Sae..."

"Come now. You said you were hungry, right? I'm positive the curry at the local café will do."

She stands and pulls me along. I can't help but think to myself how different coming to this world has made me. The first few days I kept breaking things. I was do scared of the strength I always dreamed of having that I just stopped doing stuff... Then the monsters came and I knew if I ran now, more people than ever would die, I had to force myself to look past my fear of dying. Of monsters. Of failing. Fear began to be all I was. Even when I killed monsters, they were all so small, and I would still be such a coward... I was always the coward back home... I couldn't do anything... Even when I tried to do everything...

But now. Here in a world I never knew that was. In a town I can't understand. Surrounded by people nothing like me. Living in the place I was never born from.

I found a place to belong.

"Karol? You're awfully quiet. What's on your mind?"

"It's just that it feels like I'm finally home."


	12. Breaking Out

"Ugh. How disgusting..."

"Yes, I was there several days earlier. Seems they finally decided to let the public know after all."

"It's expected that the Phantom Thieves would be held responsible."

"Do you really think they're capable of this?"

"No. I already know who did this. I was there to survey the scene when it was fresh."

I watch the heavily censored footage of the latest crime in the news. An entire local mob organization wiped out and the Phantom Thieves are to blame. However, Sis is telling a different story, why would she or anyone else withhold information like this. Several people died without the country even noticing!

"You were there...?"

"After the fact, yes. Those calling cards are fake if you look closely at them. Only the cover is the same as the real deal. They're mostly blank anyways. Normally I would tell you to keep your focus elsewhere but..."

She looks to Karol who has had his eyes glued to the television since the start. He looks ready to puke... His silence is more unnerving than his expression. Sis continues.

"Those symbols all over the walls? The one who did that is the same as Karol."

"From another world..."

"Exactly. This monster isn't like him. He's... Well you've seen the coverage."

"But why is that important?"

I already knew why. This was meant for him. For me. For all of us. This is the final nail in the coffin for our reputation. If we can't defeat him at this game, we lose. We already knew that in the Metaverse, Zagi could defeat us all in straight fight, no matter how hard that pill is to swallow. But we had to try... Sis looks to me with this reluctant face. She's never reluctant about anything, or if she ever was she made sure you'd not know, to see her be so honest is relieving. I just wish it was under different circumstances.

"They have some uncanny ability to adopt our language despite having their own. You know how Karol can't read?"

"Yes...?"

"Well those symbols are his native written language. Notice how it's not complete chicken scratch or blood splatter."

"He wrote a message in blood... That's... Nightmarish."

Karol looks to us and points at the television.

"Sae... Your hand writing... It really sucks."

"E-Excuse me-?"

"You didn't tell me he left _all_ of that...! There were way more words than you wrote down!"

"Well I didn't want you to have a panic attack like you're going through now!"

I speak up as I appear to be missing something.

"What's he talking about, Sis?"

She pinches the bridge of her nose with furrowed brows.

"When I came upon the crime scene that night I took as much as I could with me. A copy of the camera footage within the building from the clan head's desk. I wrote down a few of those symbols. I even took one of the calling cards to compare to others. There were several all over the place as you saw."

Karol hops off the chair and runs for his bag.

"I can't believe he's that far out of his goddamn mind! This is... I gotta..."

"Karol, calm down! We don't know where he is and if he knew where you were, wouldn't he have come for you by now, right?"

"That's exactly it...! Shido! He thinks... He'll think I'll go back to him! He's in danger!"

Sae grabs him by his wrist and pulls him back. Maybe she's starting to develop super strength too...? No she just has that effect.

"Karol Capel, you will listen to me right now!"

"...!"

"Masayashi Shido, though an apt politician, is a manipulative man at best. All politicians are. He left you to _die_ today and you still want to help him?!"

"He's not a bad guy... Anyone would run away from some fire knight burning people away like dry grass fields!"

"I didn't! Makoto and her friends didn't! Not even the small crowd! He _knew_ that thing was coming for him because it called him by name! He set you up..."

"He... He couldn't have... That would make him a liar."

His body eases as he falls into a state if disbelief and despair. I'm not exactly sure what Shido did to have Karol feel this attached to him, but should we ever have to go into that man's heart, it's a good thing we managed to get Karol back. Sis releases him before patting his head with a softer tone.

"Most politicians are. Look, I've got some calls to make and work to do. You two should get some rest."

Sis leaves us for her room shortly. This allows me to make my move as Karol goes for his bag again.

"Hey-! Before you do anything listen for a moment. I think we can help each other here."

"I doubt it... I don't want to sound mean, but the only person who's got a shot at beating him is-"

"He has a Shadow like Sis did. The Phantom Thieves can change targets and do the same for him as they did for others."

That has his attention. He stops halfway taking out another of his giant axes to look at me wide eyed.

"I... I thought you guys would be too busy with her."

"After that display? The real life equivalent of Zagi is as bad if not worse than his Metaverse counterpart. The country may think a rival gang killed those men but you and I know it was one man."

"No one in this world is strong enough to take him... Not even me."

"But we're not going to use this world. Come tomorrow morning-"

I reach my hand out to him.

"You're going to help us stop Zagi for good. Save my sister, maybe even the country, and hopefully find you a way home..."

He looks between my hand my eyes before shaking it with this odd smile. Even when in pain or scared there's always a sense if hope in his face. Here it felt... Different. There was a light but not the same as before.

"I guess it's a deal then."

Something in me feels like a lock has been placed. It's as if I understand his struggle now. Being the only ones to have the power and means to do anything... The responsibility that holds. He's a small, goofy and clumsy kid, but times like this he looks like some weary veteran. Monster hunts that always leave him brutalized in one way or another. Dependancy issues with how easy it is for him to cling to one person to the next, maybe it's one at a time, but I'm not so sure. His Shadow shows a form of egotism with his power here... It would have gone to his head if it weren't for the constant fear and sense of duty.

All of this I have come to understand at such a sudden rate I have to shake my head. He does the same after our shake.

"I must be real tired..."

"You did puke up some guts a few hours ago."

"It wasn't guts or anything like that! Just! A lot a lot of blood!"

"More than any kid your size should be losing... You should try and get some rest."

"I will but... Didn't you and your friends have stuff to do?"

Damn... It's as he says. I had to put my phone on silent due to the notifications I received would have alerted Sis. I take my phone out groaning at the screen. * _Several missed messages._ * I should respond to them.

* * *

 **Makoto: I take it we all saw tonight's news.**

 **Ann: Did they really suggest that we left all that gross graffiti?! Does anyone believe that?**

 **Haru: I don't think there would be any other logical explanation with those calling cards. Their eerily similar to ours.**

 **Yusuke: Imitation is said to be the highest form of flattery. I must say I feel only ill and offended by this.**

 **Akechi: This increasing rise in violence is only aggravating the public more. If things don't settle down soon we're going to have riots happening all over.**

 **Ann: It's no joke that's for sure. Everywhere I go I'm hearing panic over monsters or people. No one knows who to trust anymore.**

 **Yusuke: Certainly not the Phantom Thieves.**

 **Makoto: Unfortunately I have to be the bearer of bad news.**

 **Haru: Oh no, what is it Mako-Chan?**

 **Ann: It can't get any worse than us being labeled domestic terrorists, right?**

 **Makoto: Sis and Karol confirmed the media isn't telling the whole truth. Zagi is the one behind the murders.**

 **Futaba: Why am I like, not surprised but, totally in disbelief! That guy's a demon! All by himself!?**

 **Akechi: I was there with Sae-san. We surveyed the scene when it was fresh. Those symbols are impossible to connect to anything locally.**

 **Makoto: Karol can translate them. He can't read hiragana or katakana, probably none of our languages, but whatever that is on the walls has him terrified.**

 **Yusuke: Are you sure it's not the fact it's written in blood? He may be a warrior but he's still a child.**

 **Makoto: That too but I believe it's the fact that there's only one other who could write it.**

 **Ann: Oh. Crap.**

 **Futaba: This guy is just shoving himself everywhere! It's like no matter where we turn, Zagi is there!**

 **Akechi: Camera footage the police have was purposefully left behind by him to show off how he killed everyone. I notice that the news had not shown it off. His skills are something to behold. Better yet a secret best kept hidden.**

 **Makoto: If the public knew about someone like Zagi walking among them there'd be no end to the manhunt.**

 **Akechi: And he kept his face hidden so it could be anyone to those not as versed in this case as we are. People would be accusing left and right. There's already a panic the Phantom Thieves bring.**

 **Joker: Aren't we forgetting something?**

 **Haru: Karol-kun!**

 **Futaba: And that calling card for Sae!**

 **Akechi: Perhaps...**

 **Akechi: It is time we move on from Sae-san. I believe at this point, what with her relationship to Karol, she sees Zagi as the greater threat and focus than the Phantom Thieves since she knows half of the truth.**

 **Makoto: I was about to suggest the same thing. It's no doubt that we'll get blamed for The sooner we deal with him the better.**

 **Yusuke: Agreed.**

 **Futaba: I'm game but should we really drop a target like this? What if after we're done she goes through with her old plan?**

 **Akechi: By then she won't need to. Right Joker?**

 **Joker: A deal's a deal.**

 **Akechi: I'll be sure to hold up my end.**

 **Ann: Things have gotten so out of hand...**

 **Haru: I wish Sakamoto-kun was here...**

 **Yusuke: He'd most definitely want a crack at this mass murderer by now. This defamation won't go unpunished.**

 **Makoto: I should still write a calling card. I'll make one for Sis in case things backfire. We'll be able to send it at anytime during or after Zagi's defeat.**

 **Futaba: Ryuji used to write those...**

 **Joker: He had the most passion.**

 **Makoto: I had to rewrite the entire thing most of the time...**

 **Akechi: Nice touch of respect for those absent, Niijima-san.**

* * *

I look up from my phone to see Karol leaving without a word. By the time I get up, running for the door, he's out if sight.

"Dammit... Please... Don't do something stupid."

* * *

I don't know why I left. I don't know why I'm risking it by walking the streets. Sure it's pretty late, but a city like this has a night life crowd, but most of all I don't know what to do anymore.

Even if I could beat Zagi what then? Do I kill him? Lock him up? I don't know... How do I even find him? What could the Phantom Thieves really do against him... I just need an answer. I hold up the hyper slab, or smartphone, whatever this thing is up to my face. It's been guiding me to monsters and other things. People. Locations. I'm feeling so lost now. I don't want to find Zagi. I want find a solution. Something is giving us these powers and abilities. Something is messing with this world using my own. Please... Just guide me to whatever this is so I can learn how to stop it...

 _[ "A New Location Has Been Found. Sending Coordinates To The Nearest Venue." ]_

"!"

That did it?! I know the place set on the map too! The alley I killed the giant spider in when I first met Sae! I hurry over there doing my best to keep from being recognized. Making it to the alley I'm met with a glowing blue door.

"What's this doing here?"

"I was wonderin' the same thing."

A hand grabs my shoulder with a painfully tight grip. Crushing would be an understatement. It would've hurt if my body didn't go cold and numb. Fear overrides my senses as I hear my very target.

"Hunter has become prey, huh kid? Don't worry... I'll make this fast. We're not going here though!"

He pulls me to the side as I hear a blade tear through something like fabric. In one blink all the people around us vanish. The lights are all dead. No wind in the air or sounds in the street. He throws me out of the alley as I pull out any weapon my bag can give me. My iron hammer. It's lighter than it looks since it's head is hollow, filled with sand and water for weight, and I don't want to kill this guy... Or get killed by him.

He sneers at me wildly flourishing his blades as if to warm up his body for our fight.

"No! No! No, kid! The swords! Bring out one of your swords!"

"H-Huh...?"

"Oh my-! Look!"

He swings his sword into the air and suddenly a rip shows up in the space! The people from before were there!

"It's like looking to the outside from within... Ain't it? You can do this too... If your heart is strong enough."

"W-What...?! What are you talking about!?"

"This place is called the Metaverse, your sweet sis that you adopted uses it with her friends to screw with people, only they don't gain access like we do... We tear the fabric of space and time with our very hands, Karol. If you and I swing at each other with this power-"

"We could do so much damage to this world! I-I don't know how this all works... But I do know that, if they're separate now, then they should stay separate!"

"What do you know, brat!? What if that's what this world needs?"

"Is that what you think?"

"No, I don't care about it at all, which is why the thought of us colliding and exploding is just as enticing as getting home! Whatever happens something exciting is gonna go down!"

"... W-What if! What if I _don't_ play along?"

"You will... Because... You'll use that power to run away or die."

He slowly stalks towards me in a low pose, like a starved wildcat, gradually speeding up as the hole he cuts seals itself. I step back faster and faster until we're both running at top speed. Not sure if it's being in this world that let's me keep my pace or just the absolute terror pumping adrenaline throughout my body. Either way I manage to keep a short distance away from him as he chases after me.

"QUIT BEING A COWARD KAROL! YOU'VE GROWN PAST IT! DON'T REGRESS OR I'LL KILL YOU!"

"Hah! Hah! Hah! _Hah! Hah! HAH!_ "

It feels like forever has passed and I'm still running. He ebbs closer inch by inch every so often. Every minute, then every half minute, and now I can feel him just barely knick my clothes with the edge of his swords.

"Blood! Blood! BLOOD! MINE OR YOURS WHO WILL SPILL WHAT AND WHEN!"

I stop suddenly in an attempt to shoulder check him in the waist. I feel pretty great about it when it works too! I gotta keep going! While he wheezes I use the rest of my current breath to swing as much as I can. I know I got him a few times maybe more, but not enough for me, he manages to weave from a swing and dashes past me cutting deep into my arm. From the wrist to my shoulder a red line bleeds a lot with pain sets in.

I lean to the side as I'm no longer able to hold my weapon with both hands. My wounded arm falls dangling. I can feel it but... There's no strength in it.

"I told you... Stop being such a big baby... **Or does baby need his mommy? Huh?** _ **Lil' baby needs a lil' tittie milk? Huh?"**_

I draw a sharp gasp turning to him trying to stand steady. He sways side to side like some puppet hanging by a single string.

"Didn't you know? I visited her once and we had a blast! I nailed her ass into the wall and she moaned for me like she loved it."

He hurt her... I let him get to her... And he has the power to gloat about. The gall...

"Shut your mouth..."

"I might visit her again for bit of rough play this time... Show her a good time myself... Pretty sure she'll enjoy taking care of me more than you."

He's pushing it. Pushing me. Every time he opens his stupid disgusting mouth I want to just... Hurt him. Hurt him bad.

"Shut Up!"

He inches towards me

"Why the rise in tone? Got a lil' bit of a rise in spirit so suddenly!~ Is it cause you know I'm right? That she'll never give you that chance? You're a kid who saved her time and time again... But that's just it... Still A KID!"

"I SAID SHUT IT!"

"THEN MAKE ME, PINT-SIZE! SHOW ME WHAT YOU HAVE!"

I've Had Enough! With this clown! With this fight! With this whole damn thing! I don't care if I only have one arm. It's all I need to charge this bastard. All I need is to hit him. Just one good swing to his smug ugly prick face... And just my luck.

He lets me.

I slam the hammer into his upper chest and head with full force. A glassy crack sounds as the air ripples around us. I can feel it. Whatever he did before when he cut the air. When he cut the air. I've now done the same. I broke the wall between these two worlds. He goes flying as shards of this world fall away around us, flying into the hood of a car driving in traffic, a nasty crash that sends him to the other side of the road.

People are around us, the sky is dark, and the city lights are back on. We're in reality once more. People crowd around Zagi's body which allows me to make my escape as I swiftly put my weapon away. I have a lot to explain to Makoto and her friends.

* * *

I think I have come to understand Ryuji's struggle with Akechi and procrastination now. Sitting here at my desk as I try to write the calling card with our target, my target, sleeping soundly in the room just next to mine. Karol snuck out but I don't have time to worry about that... I have to get started on this thing, yet each time I do I always start over, there's so much to say with so little space. I have to say it in a way that makes it anonymous...

Ryuji may have been uneducated and vulgar, even poor at writing, but at least he could manage a decent first draft. How did he do this? Thinking about him now only refreshes all these outlandish and unreal events within the past few weeks. I wish things would retuurn to the way when I had joined.

I perk up at the knock of the front door. It's near midnight. Maybe it's Karol? I stand with a sigh mixed with relief and annoyance. Should I lecture him? No, Sis does enough of that herself, but why would he leave so suddenly. I intend to ask him as I open the door.

"Karol, what were you-? _Oh My God!"_

I shriek as he falls beaten and bloodied onto the floor. Not even the fight from today has him in this shape.

"Hi again. How's that stomach of yours?"

I look up from the mutilated body to see a terrifying specter sneering at me in perverted delight. Zagi takes a step forward as I am frozen in shock. His mouth is full of blood and his clothes show sign of a vicious fight.

"Don't answer that. I'm about to remind you in a second."

Before he can do anything with his wet blades I'm pulled back. Unprepared by the action I fall on the ground as Sis stands in between us with Dad's old gun. A keepsake and emergency defense for home invaders... Something we both kept a secret. That may be what started her distorted desires. Now, it may save our lives.

"Die you sonuva bitch!"

She fires as many bullets the magazine had held to which he narrowly dodged them all. Leans from side to side in such quick succession at a near point blank range. He swings one of his swords and bisected the gun in her hand. The upper half falls off as she stumbles back having not even registered the motion.

"That was close. Real close... I like those guns! They make things so fast... Like how I have to kill you fast. Now _just hold still."_

Sis holds me close as I hug Karol tightly. I prayed before but never like this. Is this really the way we die? I... I don't want it to be like this. I wanted to go quietly... But as I stare into the eyes of this inhuman horror I come to understand that this is the end.

"Aghck-!?"

Zagi is pulled back by his hair by a new figure. He's thrown into the wall against the TV. This third party is a lone man with a skull helmet that hides his face, a jacket straight out of the Metaverse with a hole in the back, a tattoo lays bare there displaying a strange icon.

 **"Get Out of Here. Now!"**

He orders at us whilst marching towards are first uninvited guest. Dazed by the throw, Skull throws him into the corner of the room before pummeling him with a thunderous hail of punches. Something snaps and breaks with each strike. As this ceaseless assault continues Sis brings me up as I lift Karol to run for the door.

Zagi parries one of the punches and stabs his opponent in the shoulder halting the assault. Skull is forced to step back from the wound which gives the otherworldly assassin enough space to kick him across the room. His body intercepts us due to being thrown so far from the blow that we have to go back. He crashes through the door to the bathroom. Zagi ignores us and goes straight for his new prey.

"I knew if I came for your friends that you'd show up! I just managed to hit jackpot on my first try! _I hate having unfinished business."_

Skull pushes himself up leaning against the wall with a haggard breath.

 **"Me Too. I'm Right Here."**

Zagi swings for him again but the masked fighter seizes his arm into a submission hold. An arm lock that allows him to spin the mass murder to face the mirror before slamming his head into it.

 **"This. I've Dreamt Of This."**

He slams him again as the mirror cracks before he ruthlessly drags Zagi's face around it. Shredding half of the cold blooded killer's visage. I didn't think it was possible with my experience. I thought Zagi would enjoy or express minor discomfort after seeing his reaction in the Metaverse... But he screams instead. Pain-filled shrieking as his face is torn asunder by the sharp jagged edges of glass.

I couldn't tell who to root for anymore after that. Zagi certainly deserved that. Worse even. However, it didn't feel right at all watching and hearing this, it felt like I was watching two men just murder each other... When Skull pulled Zagi back finally... I remembered who was the monster again as he managed to smile again.

"What violent beauty, doc... I think I'm in love!"

 **"I Don't Date People Who Stink Of Blood."**

He spins him back to the door before raising another hand to strike him. The otherworldly assassin has a trick up his sleeve. A volatile miasma spews from his throat with a silent raspy roar. A great exhale that forces Skull back as he cough grasping his throat with a wheeze. Zagi finishes his dirty trick with a lit match as he exhales again. A wave of fire burns away at the entire bathroom. Zagi comes out with smoke on him while Skull stumbles out with his helmet engulfed in flames.

"Breathe in that deadly toxic mix of smoke and poison, won't ya?! What, spent some time away suddenly you think you can take me, after a kid did half your work?!"

 **"Y-You're Forgetting Something... I'll Always Have Over You..."**

He kicks him into the hallway outside. I look around for a weapon. Lamp. Rod. Chair. Anything I could use to help fight... This useless feeling... I can't live with it. Zagi raises his sword to strike Skull down. I act without thinking and run to stop him. Seizing his offending hand.

"Wha-?!"

 **"Unlike You, I Have Friends."**

He stands up swinging a hook layered in electricity right into Zagi's jaw. I let go just as thunder booms. The pale glass faced man goes flying down the corridor of the hallway and out the window near the end. Skull yanks out the sword in his shoulder and throws it to the ground before patting down his helmet. Sis comes by with a small bucket of water and throws it on him. The flames now doused and our brutal savior begins to limp away. I call out to him.

"Wait! Who are you? You seem so familiar!"

 **"Eyes Forward Queen. Keep Your Eyes Forward."**

That's the only answer I get out of him. He called me Queen... Lightning abilities... Skull motif, like some manga hero, a Persona!

"Ryuji...?! Ryuji is that you...!"

He only gives a wave. I don't care what that's supposed to be, confirmation or not, I can firmly believe Ryuji Sakamoto has come back to us. After seeing everything just now? I think we have a fighting chance against Zagi at last.

Maybe God answers prayers after all.


End file.
